Memory, attention, function, and mood among patients with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Psychology

Background:

• Chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects cognitive functions and mood.
• Vietnam War Veterans represent a population with a high prevalence of PTSD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cognitive functions (memory, attention, function) and mood in male Vietnam War Veterans with chronic PTSD.
• To compare cognitive performance and depression levels between PTSD subjects and matched controls.
• To assess the feasibility of using touchscreen computer programs for evaluating mental disorders.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 36 male Vietnam War Veterans with chronic PTSD and 18 matched healthy controls.
• Cognitive assessment using the Cognitive Evaluation Protocol (CEP), a self-administered touchscreen computer instrument.
• Clinical assessments included the PostTraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.

Main Results:

• PTSD subjects demonstrated significantly poorer performance in attention, memory, and function compared to controls.
• PTSD subjects exhibited highly elevated depression scores.
• A significant interaction was observed between depression and memory, but not between depression and attention.

Conclusions:

• Chronic PTSD in veterans is associated with impaired cognitive functions, including memory and attention.
• Self-administered touchscreen computer programs are feasible for assessing and monitoring features of PTSD.
• Findings support the link between PTSD, cognitive deficits, and depression.