The Neurobiology of Trauma: Why It Is Important & What You Need to Know

By Dr. Laura Donaldson, PhD, CDBC, KPA CTP; Certified Trauma Professional.

Did you know that dogs and humans have remarkably similar social and emotional brains? Neuroscientist and physician Gregory Berns argues that “a parity [exists] between human and canine neurobehavioral mechanisms for control.” Berns’ extensive research on canine cognition provides staunch support for the dog as “a comparative model for better understanding maladaptive behavior in humans (Cook, Spivak & Berns, 2016).” However, having similar emotional and social brains does not mean that dogs “think” like humans. Although dogs use sophisticated communication via their body language and vocalizations, this does not include the use of verbal linguistics. The concept of parity does suggest that dogs and humans share fundamental cognitive processes and even behavior issues. After all, according to Berns (2020), “dogs have a hippocampus because they have to remember things, too. They have an amygdala because they get aroused and excited and scared, just like we do. They may even suffer similar mental problems.” This includes dogs experiencing physical as well as emotional fallout from trauma.

For example, chronic elevation of adrenalin and noradrenalin is a devastating neurobiological consequence of trauma experienced by both humans and dogs. Adrenaline/noradrenaline belong to a group of neurotransmitters and neurohormones called “catecholamines” which play a critical role in the body’s response to stress. Sustained, elevated levels of adrenalin/noradrenalin can damage cognition, intensify hypervigilance and render subjects unable to distinguish safety from danger (D’Anniballe, 2016)—and too many caregivers have unfortunately witnessed such effects up close and personal in their canine partners. Further, impaired cognition and an inability to distinguish safety from danger significantly impedes accurate processing of information from the environment. This is a major factor for dogs who bark, lunge and growl at every dog they see as well as for dogs who bite.

non-traumatized brainwaves

traumatized brainwaves

(Veltmeyer et.al., 2005)

Melinda Veltmeyer and her colleagues (2005) investigated the difference between attention patterns generated by non-traumatized human subjects versus those generated by survivors of post-traumatic stress injury. Ordinarily, when the brain takes in added information, all parts work together symbiotically to process the meaning of this data. The image above on the left shows EEG brainwaves from a non-traumatized human subject. This image conveys optimal functioning, with highly coordinated and closely synchronized brainwaves. On the other hand, the right image paints a vastly different picture.

The right EEG image, which is from a PTSI survivor, displays chaotically organized waves, including a very weak N2*, which is responsible for filtering out irrelevant information. P3*, the lowest downward curve, represents the brain’s core information processing ability and as one can see, it is isolated and very amorphously defined. This is important because the depth plus coherence of the wave determines the brain’s ability to absorb information, interpret it accurately and make good decisions about behavior based on this processing (van der Kolk, 2014). Such dysregulated brainwave patterns offer a revelatory glimpse into why so many traumatized subjects—human and canine—have trouble coping with daily life: carefully attending to the present moment is exceedingly difficult both physically as well as emotionally.

The neurobiology of trauma yields another profoundly important reason why traumatized dogs (and humans!) deserve compassion rather than toxic labels like “naughty,” “stubborn,” “untrainable” and “unlovable” (see my earlier Happy, Healthy Dog article on this subject. A neurobiological perspective on trauma adds an essential piece to the puzzle, whatever the species. Canine survivors of trauma are not “misbehaving”—they are instead struggling to survive with a traumatic legacy combining somatic (body-based) being with deep emotional learnings. Listen to your dog and they will tell their emotional and physical stories—and nothing is more healing than seeing and hearing others for who they really are.

*N2 and P3 are event-related potential (ERP) components that can be monitored and measured with an EEG cap.

Dr. Laura Donaldson, PhD, CDBC, KPA CTP, CCUI is a Professor Emeritus from Cornell University located in Ithaca, New York, northeastern United States. She is an award-winning writer on dog behavior who has worked as a canine behavior specialist for 20+ years. Laura is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), a Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP) and a Certified Trauma Professional. She created the popular program called Slow Thinking is Lifesaving for Dogs®. Laura currently resides in upstate New York with her husband, two dogs, three cats, and an African Gray Parrot named Obi. When she isn’t speaking, teaching or writing, you will find Laura partnering with her working Border Collies to tend her flock of Navajo Churro sheep. http://fourpawsfourdirections.com

References

Berns, G. (2020). Decoding the canine mind. Cerebrum, 2020.

Cook, P., Spivak, M. & Berns, G. (2016). Neurobehavioral evidence for individual differences in canine cognitive control: an awake fMRI study. Animal Cognition, 19(5), 867.

D’Anniballe, J. (2016). Why survivors of trauma feel and act the way they do: understanding the neurobiology of trauma. NAMI National Convention, Denver CO.

Siracusa, C. (2018). Dogs and Humans Have Similar Social and Emotional Brains. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/decoding-your-pet/201806/dogs-and-humans-have-similar-social-and-emotional-brains

van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.

Veltmeyer, M., Clark, C., McFarlane, A., Felmingham, K., Bryant, R. & Gordon, E. (2005). Integrative assessment of brain and cognitive function in post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of integrative neuroscience,4, 145-159.