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Emotional processing in posttraumatic stress disorder.
B T Litz1, S M Orsillo, D Kaloupek
1National Center for PTSD, Boston Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Massachusetts 02130, USA. brett.litz@med.va.gov
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|March 31, 2000
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients show suppressed emotional responses to positive images after trauma reminders. PTSD veterans also exhibit heightened heart rate reactivity to all images, indicating a threat preparation response.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Emotional deficits are the least understood aspect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Understanding the link between trauma-context reactivity and emotional deficits in PTSD is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the connection between trauma-context reactivity and emotional deficits in combat veterans with PTSD.
- To assess emotional behavior in response to trauma reminders and emotionally evocative images.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of combat veterans with PTSD and well-adjusted veteran controls.
- Exposure to trauma-related primes and neutral conditions.
- Assessment of emotional behavior and heart rate reactivity to emotionally evocative images.
Main Results:
- PTSD group showed suppressed expressive-motor responses to positive images after trauma primes.
- No augmentation of emotional response to negative cues was observed in the PTSD group post-trauma prime.
- PTSD group exhibited higher heart rate reactivity to all images, regardless of prime condition.
Conclusions:
- Trauma reminders can modulate emotional expression in PTSD patients.
- Heightened physiological arousal in PTSD may reflect a generalized preparation for threat.
- Further research is needed to explore the causes and consequences of these findings.