Trauma through the mind’s eye

Toronto, ON, April 10, 2025 - Trauma alone doesn’t cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – how we process and imagine it plays a key role, according to new research. A recent Baycrest study suggests that having a vivid visual imagery is linked to a greater risk of developing PTSD, in which debilitating mental health symptoms persist for more than one month following exposure to traumatic or highly stressful events. This study is among the largest in providing high-quality evidence of this link and examining visual and spatial imagery as distinct features of memory.

“Most of us are exposed to trauma at some point, but only a minority of us develop PTSD,” said Dr. Brian Levine, Senior Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute, part of the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education (BARE), and senior author on this study, titled “The Curse of Imagery: Trait Object and Spatial Imagery Differentially Relate to Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” and published recently in Clinical Psychological Science. “Our research will help us understand why some are resilient to this disorder whereas others are at risk. Our results could help improve treatments for individuals who are struggling with this disorder, improving their quality of life.”

In this study, led by Dr. Ryan Yeung, a postdoctoral fellow at BARE, 806 adults who reported having been exposed to trauma completed a series of online questionnaires about their mental health, trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and visual and spatial imagery. The researchers then examined the relationship between PTSD symptoms and the strength of participants’ visual and spatial imagery. The findings were confirmed in a separate sample of 493 undergraduate students.

Visual imagery refers to physical features of scenes that evoke a sense of vividness, such as shapes and colours, while spatial imagery refers to the location of elements within scenes.

Main study findings:

• A more vivid visual imagery was linked to more PTSD symptoms across age and gender.
• A stronger spatial imagery was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, although this relationship was confined to men in the undergraduate sample.

“The ability to vividly re-experience past events is usually beneficial, but our results indicate that it can make it harder to overcome the psychological after-effects of distressing or traumatic events,” said Dr. Levine. “On the other hand, the better you are at navigating and recognizing where things fit in space, including in the ‘space’ of your life, the less likely you are to develop PTSD.”  

Dr. Yeung added, “Considering individual differences in these aspects of memory could help us predict who may be at risk following exposure to trauma and provide them with the necessary support as early as possible.”

In future studies, the research team will examine these effects in longitudinal studies by testing paramedic students before and after occupational exposure to traumatic events. Additional studies will be conducted to determine the impact of gender and biological sex on imagery and PTSD.

This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

About Baycrest

At Baycrest, our vision is a world where every older person lives with purpose, fulfilment and dignity. Baycrest is a global leader in aging and brain health innovation, with over 105 years of expertise in seniors' care and cutting-edge research. Baycrest has been Designated with Exemplary Status by Accreditation Canada, and drives industry-leading care and safety outcomes. As the home of the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) powered by Baycrest, the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education (BARE) and the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, Baycrest is at the forefront of dementia research. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest's training programs shape the future of care globally, while Baycrest Global Solutions extends its expertise to senior living and healthcare internationally. For more information, visit: baycrest.org.

About the Rotman Research Institute, part of the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education

The Rotman Research Institute (RRI) is a preeminent international centre for the study of aging and human brain function. Through generous support from private donors and funding agencies, the RRI advances our understanding of human brain structure and function in critical areas of clinical, cognitive, and computational neuroscience, including perception, memory, language, attention and decision making. With a primary focus on aging and brain health, including Alzheimer’s and related dementias, research at the RRI and across the Baycrest campus promotes effective care and improved quality of life for older adults through research into age- and disease-related behavioural and neural changes.

- 30 -

Media contact
Natasha Nacevski-Laird
Media Relations Specialist, Baycrest
Nnacevski-laird@baycrest.org