Final project

Memory Systems and the Effects of Traumatic Experiences Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name December 15, 2024 Similar to the commonly held knowledge in the field of memory study, trauma can produce a drastic impact on memory systems, the capacity of individuals to function mentally healthy, and their quality of life. Cognitive sub-processes, including autobiographical memory, suppression, learning, and extinction, are essential in how the human mind stores and processes experience. Some of these systems include Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when they get disrupted by such incidences. PTSD involves witness/memory transformations that manifest in terms of intrusive thoughts, arousal, and avoidance-proneural behaviors. Acquired memory dysfunction is not limited to individual symptoms within the trauma patient population, but it also affects memory systems, biological as well as cognitive. For example, adaptive memory suppression mechanisms may help lessen the effects that trauma has when in an adaptive form, whereas in a maladaptive form, the exact mechanisms may increase distress (Mary et al., 2020). Likewise, developmental trauma in childhood and adolescence affects neurocognitive function, leading to chronic impacts on mental health, learning, and behavior (Gkintoni et al., 2022). These aspects suggest the need to embrace advanced learning on the modalities of how trauma influences the functioning of Remembering, Recalling, and Recreating systems to aid those who design and implement treatment approaches. This paper seeks to review descriptive literature involving trauma and memory systems concerning spared and impaired memory systems in light of findings that can help explain trauma-related memory malfunctioning and its management. More so, this paper aims to assess the efficiency of given AI tools in academic research to identify keywords. The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to present a state-of-the-art study of the effects of trauma on memory systems based on the current literature, and second, to discuss the limited but targeted application of AI in searching for relevant empirical material. This study addresses the following research questions: 1 How different memory systems are affected by trauma, and the implications for assessment and treatment. 2 To what extent can the general practice routine of utilizing AI tools for keyword searches help compile research information regarding this subject? Methods AI Search Process Primarily, an AI search was used on Google Search to establish the keywords for this research. It was only utilized during the search stage, where it helped in narrowing specific overarching questions into more specific terms like 'trauma memory suppression,' 'developmental trauma neurocognition,' and 'post-traumatic stress disorder memory.' This list was then adopted, and core searches were done manually on the most reliable databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Elsevier. To establish the credibility and relevancy of the sources, every article was reviewed based on methodological soundness, relevance to the research questions, and contribution towards the topic of study. Gkintoni et al. (2022), Otgaar et al. (2022), and Berntsen (2021) were chosen for their overviews of different types of memory systems and the role of memory in trauma mentioned in articles by Mary et al. (2020) and Sep et al. (2023). Evaluation of Sources According to the following method, the sources available were reviewed based on issues like relevancy, scientific validity, and practical relevance in addressing the research questions. For example, Mary and colleagues (2020) gave important details regarding the neural foundations of memory suppression, and Berntsen (2021) explained the difference between adaptive and maladaptive patterns in involuntary rememberin...