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| Science |
| Brain structure change in Holocaust survivors hereditary, study finds |
| 2019-10-05 |
| [Medium] According to research presented at the 5th European Academy of Neurology Congress in Oslo on Sunday, the horrific ordeals of the death camps left a mark on the survivors’ brain structure, specifically in the form of grey matter reduction affecting the parts of their brain responsible for stress response, memory, motivation, emotion, learning, and behavior. The study, called “Life-long effects of extreme stress on brain structures — a Holocaust survivor MRI study,” compared the brain function of 28 Holocaust survivors with the brain function of 28 people whose family had not been involved in the Holocaust utilizing MRI scanning. As explained in a statement by the European Academy of Neurology, survivors showed a significantly decreased volume of grey matter in the brain compared with controls of a similar age who had not been directly exposed via personal or family history to the Holocaust. The average age of the participants in the study was between 79 and 80. The scientists also detected a similar reduction of grey matter in areas of the brain associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans and those suffering early-life stress experience. However, compared to those suffering from other forms of PTSD, survivors presented a higher level of stress but also higher levels of post-traumatic growth, calling themselves generally satisfied with their life after the war. “We revealed substantial differences in the brain structures involved in the processing of emotion, memory and social cognition, in a higher level of stress but also of post-traumatic growth between Holocaust survivors and controls. Early results show this is also the case in children of survivors too,” he added. The study is not the first that identifies epigenetic changes in the children of those who experienced severe trauma. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #13 So, environment shapes multi-generational behavior. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2019-10-05 23:01 |
| #12 #7 I did say I'm a cynical bastard. That's why you belong here. Posted by g(r)omgoru I've been here since 2001. You're right |
| Posted by: Frank G 2019-10-05 16:52 |
| #11 #9 is right ! You go through life smiling and oddly chuckling at the most inopportune moments though. |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2019-10-05 15:42 |
| #10 I try to be cynical enough to understand the news, but lately it's hard keeping up. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2019-10-05 15:39 |
| #9 A pessimist's life is full of pleasant surprises. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-10-05 15:37 |
| #8 Reality is oftentimes confused with cynicism. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2019-10-05 15:17 |
| #7 I did say I'm a cynical bastard. That's why you belong here. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-10-05 14:31 |
| #6 Maybe you're right. I did say I'm a cynical bastard. Yes, so the traits passed on would've been inherent for far longer then, in only particular individuals. Because there's no way PTSD could have induced the children to have reduced gray matter or cerebral mutations (!) Early results show this is also the case in children of survivors too This is what I think was suspect. |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2019-10-05 14:13 |
| #5 parts of their brain responsible for stress response, memory, motivation, emotion, learning, and behavior The most likely explanation is that people with these handicaps had a better (not good but better than average) chance of surviving death camps. And, if the cause is genetic, they've passed these attributes to their descendants. p.s. No need to invoke antisemitism, Dron66046. Simply recognize the fact that the researchers are likely biophysicists i.e., physicists working in biology. And physicists can't understand the theory of evolution - look at all the prominent physicists who published "proof" that evolution cannot work (the morons appear incapable of grasping the idea that variation is followed by selection). |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-10-05 13:56 |
| #4 The study may be grounded in actual phenomena discovered, relating to the effects of the holocaust on its victims. The conclusions and hypothesis it tries to posit are however... suspect. Or maybe I'm just a cynical bastard wary of devious antisemitic academics. 'Epigenetic changes' from one generation only are called transgenerational. The size of the brain or retarding of the growth thereof is beyond the scope of one generation of change. What I want to know is which survivors lined up to be tested by the eggheads ? |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2019-10-05 13:27 |
| #3 affecting the parts of their brain responsible for stress response, memory, motivation, emotion, learning, and behavior. Basically all that makes some of us human. |
| Posted by: HeyZeus 2019-10-05 13:13 |
| #2 Or perhaps that reduction helped survival? |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2019-10-05 09:29 |
| #1 My guess is that starvation will do that to a person. The average age of the participants in the study was between 79 and 80 So these were babies/toddlers at the time? |
| Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance 2019-10-05 06:09 |