Sexual assault linked to brain damage later in life, study finds

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“It could be sexual abuse in childhood or sexual assault in adulthood,” said study author Rebecca Thurston, professor and director of the Women’s Biobehavioral Health Laboratory. at the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh.

“Based on the demographics, most women experience sexual assault in early adolescence and early adulthood,” she added, “so these are probably early experiences that we are seeing. marks later in life “.

The new study, presented at the North American Menopause Society’s annual meeting Thursday, adds to a growing body of research on the long-term impact of sexual assault on the body and mind.

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“We need to keep our focus on this issue of sexual violence against women and not let it fall off the radar screen of society because it continues to be a major issue in women’s health,” Thurston said.

Previous studies have shown that sexual trauma was linked to higher triglyceride and blood pressure levels in midlife, and a three times higher risk of developing carotid plaque, all key risk factors for heart disease.
Additionally, a study by Thurston in 2018 found that women who reported previous sexual assault were three times more likely to have depression and twice as likely to have high anxiety and insomnia than women with no history. of sexual trauma.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances are all linked to poorer health outcomes, including heart disease.
Statistics from the CDC also show that more than 1 in 3 women in the United States (and 1 in 4 men) are sexually assaulted at least once in their life. Given the widespread impact, Thurston said doctors should ask their patients about any previous sexual trauma and then carefully monitor a woman’s cardiovascular risk as she ages.

Women who have been sexually traumatized should also feel empowered to speak out and talk to their doctors, she added.

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“Absolutely share this information with your healthcare providers,” Thurston said. “It’s not your fault, so please share what you are comfortable disclosing. This is important information that has implications for your physical health and emotional well-being.”

Look at the brain

The new study, soon to be published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior, looked for signs of white matter hyperintensity in brain scans of 145 women in their 40s with no history of cardiovascular disease, stroke or dementia. However, 68% of the participants had experienced a trauma, and for 23% of the women, the trauma was sexual assault.

White matter hyperintensities, which appear as small white spots on MRI scans, are markers of blood flow disturbances that have caused brain damage.

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“Using brain imaging, we found that women with a history of sexual assault have more white matter hyperintensity in the brain, which is an indicator of small vessel disease linked to stroke. , dementia, cognitive decline and mortality, ”Thurston said.

The study controlled for other diseases and conditions that could affect the development of white matter hyperintensities, such as age, hypertension, smoking, and diabetes. The study also controlled for emotional disturbances, including depression, anxiety, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The increase in white matter hyperintensity “has not been explained by these subjective symptoms of distress,” Thurston said. “It’s almost as if your body has a memory that may not be fully manifested in psychological symptoms. Sexual assault also leaves traumatic imprints in our brains and bodies.”

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