Post-traumatic stress disorder and how it affects memory

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) generates different debates about its impacts on memory. Stress is linked to the production of cortisol, which has the function of keeping our body in "alert", thus generating fight or flight behaviors, but with human evolution, these innate survival behaviors have been poorly adapted to the present day, thus causing in the long term the development of mental disorders such as PTSD causing memory impairment. The objective of this article was to convey the damage caused by PTSD in memory, the discussions regarding contemporary interpretations of trauma, the evolution of the understanding of trauma over time, in addition to pointing out the differences between Brazilian and foreign articles. In order to develop this study, a literature review was used to address the aforementioned themes.