Attention, arousal, and memory in posttraumatic stress disorder

J Trauma Stress. 1996 Jul;9(3):497-519. doi: 10.1007/BF02103661.

Abstract

Vietnam combat veterans with current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with other Axis-I disorders, or with no Axis-I disorders completed a series of tasks designed to elucidate the psychophysiological parameters of information-processing in PTSD. These tasks included a modified Stroop procedure (MSP), a standard Stroop procedure, a recognition memory task, and a threat rating task. Physiological responses were recorded throughout the study. Our data supported several predictions derived from information-processing models of PTSD. PTSD subjects exhibited greater MSP interference to high threat words than both comparison groups, and a liberal response bias toward recognizing military-related words. PTSD symptoms and threat reactions contributed to MSP interference effects for high-threat words after controlling for medications, depression, and baseline physiological activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Arousal* / physiology
  • Color Perception
  • Combat Disorders / physiopathology
  • Combat Disorders / psychology*
  • Combat Disorders / rehabilitation
  • Comorbidity
  • Discrimination Learning / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Recall* / physiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Perceptual Defense
  • Psychophysiology
  • Reaction Time
  • Semantics
  • Verbal Learning / physiology
  • Veterans / psychology*
  • Vietnam