Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
09:55
Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Sensory filtering phenomenology in PTSD
Lorraine P Stewart1, Patricia M White
1Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
Depression and Anxiety
|January 5, 2007
Summary
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show disrupted sensory filtering, impacting their ability to suppress irrelevant stimuli. This impairment specifically links to PTSD symptoms, not just general trauma exposure.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Disrupted sensory filtering is a reported feature in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- The precise link between sensory filtering deficits and specific PTSD symptoms versus general trauma exposure remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between sensory filtering deficits and specific PTSD symptoms.
- To differentiate sensory filtering issues in PTSD from those related to general trauma exposure.
Main Methods:
- Self-report measures of trauma exposure, PTSD, and sensory gating were administered.
- Participants included undergraduates with PTSD (n=32), trauma history without PTSD (n=144), and minimal trauma history (n=153).
Main Results:
- Individuals with PTSD reported significantly greater sensory filtering disruption compared to trauma-only and low-trauma groups.
- No significant difference in filtering disruption was found between trauma-only and low-trauma groups.
- Reexperiencing, numbing symptoms, and hypervigilance (in females) were associated with disrupted sensory filtering.
Conclusions:
- Impaired sensory filtering appears to be a distinguishing feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- These findings differentiate individuals with PTSD from those with trauma exposure but without PTSD symptoms.
- Sensory filtering deficits are linked to specific symptom clusters within PTSD.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
01:28Perception
Perception is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to organize, interpret, and consciously experience sensory information. This process is crucial for understanding and interacting with the world around us. It includes both bottom-up and top-down processing, each playing a distinct role in how we perceive our environment.
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
01:11Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
01:21Sensation
Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of external stimuli, initiating the process known as sensation. This occurs when sensory input, such as light entering the eye, is detected by these receptors, causing chemical changes in the cells of the retina. These cells then convert the sensory stimulus into action potentials that are transmitted to the central nervous system, a process termed transduction.
Absolute thresholds can quantify the sensitivity of sensory...
Absolute thresholds can quantify the sensitivity of sensory...
01:30Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously termed multiple personality disorder, is a complex psychological condition characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states. Each identity exhibits unique patterns of behavior, voice, and mannerisms and may possess separate memories and emotional responses. The alternating control between identities can result in memory gaps and challenges in recalling daily activities, often exacerbating the individual's...
01:20Parallel Processing
The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...