A Network Model for the Influence of Myelin Excess in Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Jelmer Langbroek, J. Treur, S.S. Mohammadi Ziabari



The brain is the central organ of stress and controls the adaptation to stressors, while it perceives what is potentially threatening and determines the behavioral and physiological responses. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disease in which an individual has been ex-posed to a traumatic event that involves actual or imminent death or serious injury, or threatens the phys-ical integrity of the self or others. The effects on the brain caused by stress for people with PTSD are the main subject of this paper. A literature research was conducted to see how stress affects the brain and how regions of the brain are distorted by an excess of mye-lin, which are formed by oligodendrocytes, in persons with PTSD. The interruptions in connections in the brain are displayed in a dynamic model designed using network-oriented model-ing. The Network-Oriented Modeling perspective is proposed as a way to address complexity. This perspective takes the concept of network and the interactions within a network as a basis for conceptual-ization and structuring of any complex processes. It appears myelin, and the oligodendrocytes which produce the myelin can have altering effects in the brain of patients with PTSD. The fear response is increased significantly and the forming and retrieval of memories is also dis-rupted. The main purpose of this paper is providing insight in what the effects of myelin excess might be for patients with PTSD, and simulating these effects to make these insights easily accessible.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProc. of the 18th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing.
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 15 Mar 2019

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in AI
PublisherSpringer Publishers

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'A Network Model for the Influence of Myelin Excess in Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this