The Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience Chapter of the Argentine Psychoanalytical Association (APA)

A Freudian neuropsychoanalytic model of psychic trauma and memory

The Chapter continues to hold its monthly meetings coordinated by Dr. Diego Cohen. R. M. Basili, a member of the APA and a professor at the “Angel Garma” Institute of Psychoanalysis, recently presented at one of our meetings. Professor Basili has had extensive experience in the application of psychoanalytic treatment of borderline or psychotic patients who suffer from severe psychic traumas throughout their development (Basili, Montero, & Sharpin de Basili, 2002; Basili & Sharpin de Basili, 2001, 2002). Basili's presentation was complemented by comments from Cohen on the neuroscience–psychoanalysis relation in the field of memory. A first approach would be as follows: the psychoanalytic theory of trauma presupposes and integrates a body of knowledge related to the theories of memory, the conscious and unconscious systems, and affects. Freud, as he tried to demonstrate in “A Project for a Scientific Psychology” (1950 [1895]), held that for a theory to be considered psychological, an explanation of memory must be taken into account and, in our opinion, must offer an evolutionary model of psychobiological development. Freud referred to memory in many passages throughout his vast work. Here, we highlight the most important concepts spread over several years. The first fundamental concept is to be found in Studies of Hysteria , where memory is compared to archives that are organized according to degrees of (1) temporary association, (2) levels of access to the conscious system, and (3) associative links. This is explained more clearly in a passage from “The Aetiology of Hysteria” (Freud, 1896c). In this work, Freud proposed that memories form associative paths that come into relation with other memories and are expressed through symptoms. These paths are organized in memory “nodes,” which now are considered to be neuronal networks and which, in accordance with the pattern of connection and firing, “store” m