• People with prolonged grief disorder have increased activity in areas of the brain involved in memory and emotion processing when they see death-related images, like a graveyardPaul Mansfield/Getty Images People with prolonged grief disorder have increased activity in areas of the brain involved in memory and emotion processing when they see death-related images, like a graveyard Paul Mansfield/Getty Images For most people, the intense sting of grief eases with time. • For some, however, persistent and painful grief remains, developing into prolonged grief disorder. • A new review of the condition, which affects around 5 per cent of bereaved people, sheds light on how it develops. • This could help doctors predict which recently bereaved people will benefit from extra support. • The decision to include prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual in 2022sparked intense debateover whether it was pathologising a normal human response to loss and imposing an arbitrary timeline on what constitutes “normal” grief. • Now, an analysis of the brain activity of people with and without PGD suggests it is a condition in its own right.
Article Summaries:
- A recent review of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) - a condition that affects about 5 % of people who lose a loved one - highlights distinct brain‑activity patterns that set it apart from normal grief, PTSD, depression and anxiety. Researchers at the University of New South Wales found that those with PGD show heightened activation in reward‑related circuits, especially the nucleus accumbens, and increased amygdala and hippocampal responses to death‑related images. These patterns correlate with intense yearning and a reduced capacity for positive emotion. While neuroimaging is not yet a diagnostic tool, the findings may help clinicians identify bereaved individuals at higher risk for PGD and tailor early support.
Sources: