Subcortical Brain Research Paper

268 Words2 Pages
The subcortical brain is the area of the brain that focuses on survival (TedxTalks). Long-term exposure to trauma inflicted on a person can negatively affect the subcortical brain. This happens because the subcortical brain can become hyper-sensitive to stress when trauma is frequently inflicted on a person. Scientists observe war veterans for signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in attempt to explain this process. According to doctor John Rigg, a physiatrist who studies brain injury medicine, when a person has experienced trauma, they are prone to releasing stress hormones more regularly and reacting aggressively to potentially dangerous situations. On a battle field, this is helpful but, in society, the ‘fight or flight’ reaction may be