How Does Your Brain Make Decisions? Researchers Develop a Novel Model

🚨 New Publication Alert! 🚨 1/ Can early brain connectivity predict who will develop PTSD after trauma? 🧠🔍 Check out our new study, published today in @JAMANetworkOpen! https://t.co/JMCqKQlVsk @ajsimon @KoremNachshon @orduek @HendlerTalma @ifat_levy @harpaz_l 🧠🧵👇

Early neural network differences in trauma survivors predicted PTSD severity at 1 and 14 months, suggesting that connectome-based predictive modeling could help identify targets for early intervention. https://t.co/So6FemLMV3 @ZivBenZion1 @KoremNachshon

The world is generally going insane, something else: We are having a workshop and a graduate school here at Weizmann in May - Light and Ultralight BSM. Short notice. If you're interested (workshop or as school) - ping me. There's funding for travel etc.!

🚨 Excited to share our latest letter in @JAMANetworkOpen! Where we explored how the endocannabinoid system, specifically the CB1 receptor in the amygdala, relates to pain response and emotional numbing in trauma-exposed individuals. 🧠🌿 #PTSD #neuroscience #cannabis

Stay tuned as we continue to explore the complexities of PTSD and the brain. Together, we're making strides toward better mental health care.

A big thank you to our amazing research team Ansel Hilmer, Cyril D’Souza, @anahitabassir, @ifat_levy , Robert H. Pietrzak, @harpaz_l, @YaleDecisionLab, @PTSDStressLab, @YalePsych, @VA_PTSD_Info, and the participants! 🙏🙏🙏

A better understanding of the role of the eCB system in emotional and psychological pain in PTSD could open up new avenues for treatment. Targeting CB1 receptors might help alleviate emotional numbing and normalize pain responses in trauma survivors. 💡 #FutureDirections

In a recent study, we showed that emotional numbing is also linked to emotional pain in trauma-exposed individuals. Our current findings further corroborate that emotional numbing isn't just psychological—it's also deeply rooted in neurobiology. 🧩 #mentalhealth

These results suggest that increased CB1R availability (indicative of lower eCB tone) might contribute to reduced pain responsiveness and emotional numbing in trauma survivors. This could explain the diminished emotional responses to mild stimuli seen in PTSD. #PTSDResearch

Additionally, we found a strong positive association between CB1R availability and the severity of emotional numbing symptoms in PTSD. So, more CB1R availability was linked to greater emotional numbing. 😶

Our findings? There was a robust negative association between amygdala CB1R availability and response to shock-induced pain. In simpler terms, higher CB1R availability was linked to a lower amygdala response to pain. 📉🧠

Using PET scans, we measured CB1R availability in the amygdala of trauma-exposed, non-cannabis-smoking adults. Participants also underwent fMRI scans while experiencing mild electric shocks to assess amygdala response to pain. 🔬⚡️

We hypothesized that the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, known for its role in pain modulation and stress-related disorders, might be a key player. Specifically, we looked at the amygdala's CB1 receptor (CB1R) availability. #EndocannabinoidSystem

In a previous work, we found that individuals with PTSD show reduced amygdala responses to mild pain, linked to greater emotional numbing symptoms like restricted affect. But why does this happen? 🤔 https://t.co/LBOM1LEtbI

Link to the letter:

🚨 Excited to share our latest letter in @JAMANetworkOpen! Where we explored how the endocannabinoid system, specifically the CB1 receptor in the amygdala, relates to pain response and emotional numbing in trauma-exposed individuals. 🧠🌿 #PTSD #neuroscience #cannabis

A huge thank you to the magnificent team that worked with me on this project @orduek, @ruonanjiajuly, @WertheimerEmily, Sierra Metviner, Michael Grubb, and @ifat_levy

The implications of this study are significant for understanding decision-making in complex situations, like healthcare, where qualitative outcomes are prevalent.

To ensure robustness, we conducted simulations with data generated using the utility function, replicated results using an unrelated secondary dataset, and performed sensitivity analyses to validate our priors.