The Neurobiology of Self-Injury (in Layman's Terms), with Dr. Michael Kaess

<p>What goes on at the neurobiological level that makes someone more vulnerable to self-injure or self-harm? What biological risk factors are at play? What roles do the vagus nerve, cortisol levels, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have? We hope to discuss the psychology of self-injury pain in a future episode, but in this episode, Dr. Michael Kaess from the University of Bern in Switzerland explains the neurobiology of self-injury in simple terms, or what we hope can be considered simple layman's terms. </p><p>Learn more about Dr. Kaess and his research team at the Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste (UPD) in Bern <a href="https://www.upd.unibe.ch/research/research_groups/group_kaess/index_eng.html" target="_blank">here</a>. To participate in Dr. Kaess' research study of an online intervention for self-injury (in German), visit the STAR (Self-injury Treatment Assessment Recovery) Project at <a href="https://star-projekt.de/" target="_blank">https://star-projekt.de/</a>.</p><p>Below are links to some of the research referenced in this episode:</p><ol><li>Kaess, M., Hooley, J. M., Klimes-Dougan, B., Koenig, J., Plener, P. L., Reichl, C., Robinson, K., Schmahl, C., Sicorello, M., Schreiner, M. W., & Cullen, K. R. (2021). <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34450182/" target="_blank">Advancing a temporal framework for understanding the biology of nonsuicidal self-injury: An expert review</a>. <i>Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 130</i>, 228-239.</li><li>Reichl, C., Heyer, A., Brunner, R., Parzer, P., Völker, J. M., Resch, R., & Kaess, M. (2016). <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453016306989?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, childhood adversity and adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury</a>. <i>Psychoneuroendocrinology, 74</i>, 203-211.</li><li>Plener, P. L., Bubalo, N., Fladung, A. K., Ludolph, A. G., & Lulé, D. (2012). <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925492711003970?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">Pro