Related Experiment Videos
Attentional dysfunction associated with posttraumatic stress disorder among rape survivors
M A Jenkins1, P J Langlais, D A Delis
1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI 02906, United States of America. melissa_jenkins@brown.edu
The Clinical Neuropsychologist
|June 16, 2000
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impairs sustained and divided attention. This study in rape survivors, with low comorbidity, confirms attention deficits in PTSD, independent of other disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with attention deficits, but findings in veterans are confounded by comorbidities.
- Rape survivors offer a model population with lower comorbidity rates to study PTSD's impact on cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate attentional functioning in rape survivors with PTSD.
- To differentiate PTSD-related attention deficits from those caused by comorbid conditions.
Main Methods:
- Compared neuropsychological performance on attention tests in three groups: rape survivors with PTSD (PTSD+), rape survivors without PTSD (PTSD-), and non-traumatized controls (CTRL).
- Assessed sustained attention, divided attention, and visuospatial selective attention shifting.
Main Results:
- The PTSD+ group demonstrated significantly poorer performance on measures of sustained and divided attention compared to both PTSD- and CTRL groups.
- No significant differences were found in the shifting of visuospatial selective attention between groups.
- Attention deficits in the PTSD+ group were not linked to comorbid psychiatric or substance abuse disorders.
Conclusions:
- PTSD is associated with specific deficits in sustained and divided attention, even in populations with low comorbidity.
- Trauma itself, independent of other disorders, appears to negatively impact attentional capacities.
- Findings highlight the need for targeted interventions addressing cognitive impairments in PTSD treatment.