The brain under sexual attack: A brief report on neurobiological disturbances in trauma memory.

Abstract

Objective: The pathway from experiencing sexual assault to successful prosecution of sexual assault cases is plagued by complicated and myriad factors, resulting in suboptimal outcomes for both survivors and judicial systems. In particular, disturbance of posttraumatic memory recall under stressful circumstances can negatively impact the veracity of survivor testimony.

Method: This brief report integrates empirical findings from studies of trauma memory disturbance, and more specifically the impacts of glucocorticoid activation in sexual assault memory, contextualizing through the lens of implications for sexual assault litigation.

Results: Studies have begun to demonstrate the neurobiological underpinnings of such memory disturbance, indicating that trauma memory recall under duress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and glucocorticoids, and subsequently inhibits retrieval mechanisms in the hippocampus. However, research in this realm is somewhat nascent, requiring further study to sufficiently build evidence for the adjustment of judicial proceedings to be increasingly trauma-informed.

Conclusion: A review of current empirical research indicates that survivors of sexual assault are vulnerable to trauma memory disturbance during litigation proceedings. Directions for future research are suggested to fill gaps in the extant literature base and strengthen the case for applications of this work to judicial contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).