The National Archive of Grief Support Studies
The National Archive of Grief Support Studies(NAGSS) database provides bibliographical information and summaries of recent articles selected for their relevance to grief and bereavement service providers. The articles that are summarized are selected from scholarly, peer-reviewed journals and are intended to highlight key concepts as well as provide a brief statement of implications for service providers. Bibliographical information may be used to obtain the original article.
Bereavement and the Brain: Invitation to a Conversation Between Bereavement Researchers and Neuroscientists
Authors:
O’Connor, Mary-Francis
Source:
Death Studies: 2005. Volume 29, pp, 905-922.
Summary
This article provides an interdisciplinary integration of developments in neuroscience and in bereavement theory. The study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify the activation of the brain while study participants were engaged in thinking about grief and loss. The author suggests that studying brain functioning over the course of bereavement may provide insights into how early grief compares to later adaptation to grief. In addition, the author suggests that comparing the brain functioning of those with grief that is considered normal to those who are experiencing complicated grief can shed light on the differences between these two reactions to grief.
Key words: brain, neuroscience, pathology, trauma
Service Provider Implications
The article identifies possibilities for bereavement researchers to partner with neuroscientists to develop research projects to increase both fields’ understanding of how grief impacts the brain and vice versa.
