Forty-one percent of children living in Detroit will experience trauma serious enough to cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — the disorder known for causing depression, nightmares and flash backs in military personnel after returning from combat. 

While researchers are beginning to understand the impact of PTSD on the adult brain, little is known about the effects of the disorder on the developing brains of children and adolescents.

Moriah Thomason, professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, is hoping a new research project will change that. 

As the director of Wayne State’s SCAN (Social Cognitive Affective Neurodevelopment) laboratory, Thomason and her team are at the forefront of new research aimed at pinpointing areas of the developing brain that change when exposed to trauma. 

“We think our research approach — combining clinical and behavioral information with the latest real-time brain imaging technology — will give us a great opportunity to understand the biological differences in a developing brain experiencing the effects of PTSD,” said Thomason. “Once we get there, then we can start addressing treatments that are going to help these young people better regulate emotions.”