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ForwardBrain Imaging of Susceptibility to Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders
Abstract
Trauma can have severe and deleterious consequences for survivors, contributing to the development of major psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, not all trauma survivors go on to develop PTSD and understanding the mechanism that underlies this individual variability is critical for prediction and prevention efforts to minimize a survivor’s likelihood of adverse psychiatric trauma outcomes. Brain imaging holds great promise for revealing mechanisms of PTSD susceptibility, and providing unique neural signatures that could translate into effective precision medicine approaches. This presentation will discuss current advances and challenges in brain imaging of PTSD susceptibility. Emergent evidence on neural correlates of trauma exposure in both threat and sensory systems will be discussed. Further research will be noted linking brain imaging in the early aftermath of trauma to later PTSD symptoms. In addition, technical and conceptual limitations will be noted concerning potential generalizability issues of the current work and recommendations for future research will be provided.
Potential to Distress: No
Target Audience
Those seeking to participate in this webinar must be licensed mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, accredited psychotherapists, etc.). ISSTD staff will audit license information prior to the start of the course and may request additional documentation for your license.
We do accept students enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certification in the mental health field and who have an interest in trauma and dissociation. Students must submit proof of student status such as a transcript or registration record. For those who have completed their degree and are currently in the pre-licensure stage practicing under the license of another clinician, you must provide the name and license information for the person you are working with. Documentation should be sent to ISSTD staff at [email protected] before registering.
This webinar is at the Intermediate Learning Level.
Learning Objectives
Upon Completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- List components of the canonical threat neurocircuit
- Evaluate neuroimaging evidence of brain dysfunction in recent trauma survivors
- Identify issues of generalizability in recent trauma research
- Explain multimodal neuroimaging approaches to PTSD
- Evaluate design limitations of cross-sectional trauma research
Presenter: Nate Harnett, PhD
Presenter Bio: Nathaniel G. Harnett, PhD, is a neuroscientist whose research is focused on understanding the brain basis for why some people are more likely to develop stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), after trauma. His current work leverages magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques—including functional MRI, structural MRI, and diffusion weighted imaging—to identify multimodal neural signatures of PTSD susceptibility in the acute aftermath of trauma exposure. The overarching emphasis of Dr. Harnett’s work is on elucidating neural circuitry linked to acute and long-term development of post-traumatic syndromes and identifying robust and generalizable neurobiological targets for early intervention and treatment. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to develop predictive and preventative neuroscience-based techniques to reduce the prevalence of trauma and stress-related disorders. Dr. Harnett graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2018 with a PhD in psychology.
Available Credit
- 1.50 APAThe International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- 1.50 ASWB ACEThe International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2024 – 08/20/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.50 continuing education credits.
- 1.50 ISSTD Certificate ProgramThis program is eligible for 1.50 credits in the ISSTD Certificate Program. No certificate of completion is generated for this type of credit.
Price
"Your Price" above reflects your final price based on your membership status and career level.
- ISSTD defines a student as those enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certification in the mental health field and who have an interest in trauma and dissociation.
- ISSTD defines an emerging professional as mental health professionals who have completed an advanced degree and are in the first three years of their career (or first three years after graduation for researchers).
- If you do not fall into one of the above categories please register as Professional/Retired.
These prices are for Tier I countries. For a list of countries by Tier click here. If you are located in a country that falls into Tier II-VI please contact ISSTD at [email protected] to receive the appropriate discount code.
Registration Policies
Cancellations prior to the webinar are subject to a $10 cancellation fee. No refunds are provided for no shows. The deadline for cancellations with a refund is August 3, 2026 at 5:00pm US Eastern Time. Requests for cancellation should be sent to [email protected].
For additional webinar policies including completion requirements, filing grievances, requesting a disability accommodation, and awarding of certificates of credits, please visit our Webinar Policies page.