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Attention, learning, and memory in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Thomas C Neylan1, Maryanne Lenoci, Johannes Rothlind

  • 1Mental Health Service, San Francisco DVA Medical Center, San Francisco, California 94121, USA. neylan@itsa.ucsf.edu

Journal of Traumatic Stress
|March 19, 2004
PubMed
Summary
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Combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) showed no differences in attention or memory compared to controls. Reduced hippocampal N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) was not linked to memory deficits in this PTSD cohort.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to hippocampal alterations.
  • Previous studies suggest reduced N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) in the hippocampus of veterans with PTSD.
  • The cognitive implications of these neurochemical changes require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare attention and declarative memory in combat veterans with PTSD and healthy controls.
  • To investigate the relationship between hippocampal N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) concentrations and cognitive performance in PTSD.
  • To determine if reduced hippocampal NAA is associated with impaired declarative memory.

Main Methods:

  • Cognitive assessments of attention, learning, and memory were administered.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to measure hippocampal N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and NAA/Creatine ratios.
  • Participants included combat veterans with PTSD (n=24) and matched healthy controls (n=23).

    • Main Results:

    • No significant differences in attention, learning, or memory were found between the PTSD and control groups.
    • Hippocampal volume, NAA concentrations, and NAA/Creatine ratios did not correlate with cognitive measures after adjustments.
    • Reduced hippocampal NAA was not associated with impaired declarative memory in this sample.

    Conclusions:

    • Cognitive functions, including attention and declarative memory, appear preserved in combat veterans with PTSD, even with reduced hippocampal NAA.
    • Hippocampal N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) levels may not be a direct biomarker for cognitive deficits in this population.
    • Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between neurobiology and cognition in PTSD.