[ad_1]
Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist, used technical terms at Thursday's Senate hearing to explain why she is certain that her memory of an alleged sexual assault in the 1980s is correct.
Ford's testimony included poignant and striking details of the attack, and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) questioned her about the reliability of her memories.
Ford said the science explained how she could be sure that it was the Supreme Court's candidate, Brett Kavanaugh, who had assaulted her.
"In the same way, I'm sure I'll talk to you right now," she told Feinstein.
"It is only the basic functions of memory, and also the level of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the brain that encodes the memories in the hippocampus, which locks the experience of trauma . [while] other memories just drift.
Norepinephrine and epinephrine are neurotransmitters and hormones that work together in the "fight or flight" reaction that one would expect during an incident like that described by Ford. Both increase sugar levels and increase heart rate and make a person more aware of their environment.
Norepinephrine and epinephrine enhance the senses and improve memory creation. The hippocampus plays a huge role in creating long-term memories and their subsequent recovery.
Ford has also used the term sequelae to explain why some aspects of his memory are striking compared to others. The sequelae correspond to the pathological result of a disease or injury. In Ford's case, the sequelae she described were similar to the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
Source link
