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Measures of prefrontal system dysfunction in posttraumatic stress disorder
K C Koenen1, K L Driver, M Oscar-Berman
1Psychiatric Epidemiology, Columbia School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. kckds@hotmail.com
Brain and Cognition
|February 13, 2001
Summary
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show frontal brain system disruption. They performed poorly on specific cognitive tasks like delayed response, indicating selective prefrontal dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Clinical observations link traumatic stress to frontal brain system dysfunction.
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with cognitive impairments.
- Frontal lobe systems are crucial for executive functions and cognitive control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate frontal lobe system functioning in individuals with PTSD.
- To identify specific cognitive deficits associated with PTSD using tasks sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Employed tasks sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction: delayed response (DR), delayed alternation (DA), object alternation (OA), delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS), and delayed nonmatching-to-sample (DNMTS).
- Compared performance of participants with PTSD to a control group.
- Assessed cognitive performance on tasks requiring working memory, planning, and cognitive flexibility.
Main Results:
- Participants with PTSD were unimpaired on delayed alternation (DA) and delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) tasks.
- Individuals with PTSD demonstrated significant deficits in delayed response (DR), object alternation (OA), and delayed nonmatching-to-sample (DNMTS) tasks.
- This pattern suggests selective disruption within prefrontal brain systems in PTSD.
Conclusions:
- The findings indicate specific prefrontal cortex dysfunction in individuals with PTSD.
- Neuropsychological deficits in PTSD may stem from neuropathological changes in selective brain systems.
- Further research into the etiology of PTSD is warranted to understand these cognitive impairments.