Running head: HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

How Is The Brain Impacted By Emotional Trauma?

Emily Michi

Alverno College

HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

Abstract

This paper uses research on brain development and stress response to learn how the brain is
impacted by emotional trauma. First by building a strong foundation of understanding through
exploring emotional trauma and brain development. Then investigating how the brain responds
to a threatening external stimulus. Next it answers how emotional trauma affects brain
development, stress hormone and gene expression. After that it determines what special
education diagnosis would best fit a child who experienced emotional trauma. Finally it
illustrates what this means for a classroom teacher in regards to how they should create a
classroom culture that is engaging and safe.

HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

How Is the Brain Impacted By Emotional Trauma?

Each student who walks through a classroom door will have had variety of experiences in
their life that has helped them become the person they are at that point. Many of those
experiences have been positive and some of those experiences have unfortunately been negative.
What this research question tries to answer is what are the hidden ramifications of those negative
experiences. To do this we have to understand what is trauma, how a human brain develops,
how the brain responds to stress and how is development impacted by trauma. It is also
meaningful to consider if a child has experienced emotional trauma qualifies for services through
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Finally we have to consider what does that mean for
a teacher and the educational opportunities they design to best meet the needs of all their students
who may or may not have experienced emotional trauma.
Trauma
In researching how the brain is impacted by emotional trauma its important to
understand trauma. There are many different forms of trauma that can impact the brain.
Physical trauma from a sports related concussion or car accident could result in brain injury that
is easier to pinpoint and determine. However emotional trauma is more complicated because the
source of the trauma can be ongoing. Emotional trauma is an adverse childhood experience that
is perceived to be life threatening, uncontrollable and cause prolonged stress. Stress is a fairly
common occurrence in life and is not necessarily bad. We are biologically wired to handle stress
especially in acute situations. In fact experiencing positive stress can be beneficial especially to
young children because it helps their body learn how to deal with stress in later life. It is the
chronic stress in the absence of a caring adult that Alberta Family Wellness Initiative defines as
toxic stress that can be harmful to brain development and overall general well being. Toxic

HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

stress a child can experience can be a result of maltreatment through neglect or abuse,
postpartum depression or parental substance abuse.
Human Brain
To understand how the brain is impacted by emotional trauma we have to first understand
several factors about our brain. Brain plasticity, is the ability to learn based on experiences.
Jensen (2005) best describes this phenomenon your brain is dynamic and constantly changing
as a result of the world you live in and the life you lead (p 11). Learning occurs when one
neuron communicates with another neuron and forms a connection. The more they communicate
the stronger the connection. If the connection is not continued to be used it is pruned away
through a process called apoptosis. Pruning of excess neurons can be helpful because it makes
sure the brain does not become too crowded. Eventually a protective myelin layer is formed
over the neuron connections helping those connections become more efficient.
Brain Development
As a child grows and experiences the world around them the neurons in their brain are
strengthening their connections based on the skills being mastered through those experiences.
Cameron (2012) describes the importance of this process in early childhood neuron connections
form circuits that become foundation for brain architecture. There are some parts of brain
development that begins before birth such as motor development and autonomic nervous system.
Motor development continues to mature over the next 10 years. Emotions, sensory motor
development, auditory development and vision are areas of brain development that are most
critical in early childhood. Other skills like decision-making and impulse control that happens in
the prefrontal cortex are the last to develop. It is important to understand that simple skills

HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

become the foundation for more complex skills to develop. Sousa (2006) explains how this can
determine a childs success in school experience are already shaping the brain and designing the
unique neural architecture that will influence how it handles future experiences (p. 24). A weak
foundation in early childhood will make it difficult to develop more complex skills like flexible
thinking and self-monitoring.
Brains Response To Stress
Sensory input enters the brain and is routed to the thalamus for processing. From the
thalamus it is simultaneously routed to amygdala and the appropriate cerebral cortex structure
depending on the input. The amygdala quickly determines if the sensory input is a threat and
will need to activate the fight or flight system by communicating with the hypothalamus. The
hypothalamus will mobilize the stress hormones through a relay message between the pituitary
gland and adrenal gland. It is in the adrenal gland that the stress hormone cortisol is released.
There are two ways amygdala is able to determine if the stimulus is a threat. One way is because
amygdala creates emotional memories. These are unconscious memories that link an event
with an emotion. Which is beneficial because during future experiences if something similar
occurs your unconscious emotional memory can help you quickly respond. The amygdala also
checks with the hippocampus, which stores conscious memories.
The Upstairs Brain and the Downstairs Brain
Siegel and Bryson (2011) give a fairly simple way to divide up the brain that best
explains what happens when the brain is experiencing toxic stress. The downstairs brain is the
brainstem and the limbic region. They describe these areas as more primitive because they are
responsible for basic functions (like breathing and blinking), for innate reactions and impulses

HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

(like fight or flight), and for strong emotions (like anger and fear) (p. 39). The upstairs brain is
the cerebral cortex. This is where the executive function skills form. Executive function skills
are the ones that allow flexible thinking, controlling emotions, self-monitoring, planning and
prioritizing tasks and controlling our impulses. Emotional trauma causes the downstairs brain to
fire more often and produce stronger neural connections. However this means the upstairs brain
is not being developed. This creates a brain that does not have a strong foundation. Students
who have this developmental imbalance may have a harder time controlling their emotions, find
it difficult connecting to others and have higher levels of anxiety.
Stress Hormones
When a person is experiencing acute stress the release of cortisol is beneficial. Cortisol
helps to kick start the fight or flight response. It releases a burst of energy through stored
glucose. This helps to get the brain working and the heart pumping. It also suppresses the
immune system. When experiencing toxic stress the stress response system activation is
prolonged. This means that cortisol remains at high-levels in the body putting a strain on the
heart, endocrine system and immune system. Thompson (2014) describes how chronic arousal
makes it more difficult to mobilize and recover from activation in the future (p. 46). In essence
the results can lead to a lifetime of health related issues.
Nature and Nurture
Nature vs. nurture seems to be a popular debate in the scientific world. More and more
research is showing that it is not an either or situation. Each person is born is with genetic
makeup that they inherit from their parents. That is not however the end of the story. Depending
on experiences certain genes made be expressed where others are not. Gene expression is

HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

essentially the observable traits. Cameron (2012) in her presentation The Effect of Toxic Stress
on Childrens Brain and Behavior discusses her research with monkeys and adverse early life
experiences. Her results show that early experiences alter gene expression and development.
Emotional trauma impacts gene expression as well as brain plasticity.
Legality
In regards to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act students who have
experienced emotional trauma especially in the critical years could have multiple characteristics
that can be diagnosed as Emotional Behavioral Disorder. Cameron (2012) asserts that a longterm consequence of toxic stress in the absence of a caring caregiver is issues with learning,
behavior and both physical and mental health. Students who are diagnosed with Emotional
Behavioral Disorder exhibit one or more characteristics that adversely affect their education
performance. If a brain is constantly engaging the fight or flight response and therefore not
engaging the higher order thinking skills they may have a inability to learn, or create
relationships with others. They may also be more prone to depression and/ or anxiety. When
working with students with emotional behavioral disorder it is important to empower them to be
self-motivated and self-monitoring and they should have the opportunity to work with their peers
to build social skills.
As A Teacher
As a teacher this is compelling evidence to consider when working with students.
Understanding that experiences have shaped each students brain development is important. It is
imperative to not make assumptions that a particular student has or has not experienced
emotional trauma. The best solution is to create a classroom that is brain responsive and sensitive

HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

to all students. A classroom should be a safe but challenging environment that allows students
the opportunity to take risks. Setting up a classroom and designing curriculum that considers
how a healthy and unhealthy brain develops will assure that each student is getting the support
they need to be successful outside the classroom.
Conclusion
Threatening adverse childhood experiences can lead to emotional trauma. This is
especially detrimental because we know that brain plasticity is sensitive in early childhood and
brain architecture is dependent on a strong foundation. Emotional trauma weakens the brain
foundation making it difficult to develop complex thinking skills. It also releases an excess of
stress hormones damaging the heart muscle and immune system. Whats more emotional trauma
changes how our genetic code is expressed. As a teacher it may not be possible to prevent the
emotion trauma. However a teacher can be a supportive adult who can offer non-threatening and
engaging experiences that equip students to build a more complex brain.

HOW IS THE BRAIN IMPACTED BY EMOTIONAL TRAUMA?

References

Cameron, J. (2012) The core story of brain development. Retrieved from

http://www.albertafamilywellness.org/resources/video/core-story-brain-development
Cameron, J. (2012) The effect of toxic stress on childrens brain and behavior. Retrieved from
http://www.albertafamilywellness.org/resources/video/effect-toxic-stresschildren%E2%80%99s-brain-and-behavior
Delima, J., & Vimpani, G. (2011). The neurobiological effects of childhood maltreatment: An
often overlooked narrative related to the long-term effects of early childhood
trauma?. Family Matters, (89), 42-52.
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development.
Siegel, D. & Bryson, T. (2011) The whole-brain child: 12 revolutionary strategies to nurture
your childs developing mind. New York: Random House Inc.
Sousa, D. A. (2006). How the brain learns. Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sprenger, M. (1999). Learning and memory: The brain in action. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Thompson, R. (2014). Stress and child development. The Future of Children, 24, 41-59.
Wolfe, P. (2001) Brain matters: Translating research into classroom practice. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.