Event-related potentials to auditory stimuli in monozygotic twins discordant for combat: association with PTSD

Studies have demonstrated ERP abnormalities related to concentration difficulties in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We used an identical-twin, case-control design to investigate whether these abnormalities reflect pre-trauma vulnerability or the acquired consequence of PTSD. Vietnam combat veterans and their non-combat-exposed, identical twins completed a three-tone oddball task. Veterans with PTSD had delayed target N2 latencies compared to veterans without PTSD. In a small nonmedicated, nonsmoking subsample, veterans with PTSD also had significantly diminished target P3b amplitudes. A mixed-model, random-effects analysis on the nonmedicated, nonsmoking subsample that included the combat-unexposed co-twins showed a significant Diagnosis x Combat Exposure interaction for target P3b amplitude. Results replicate increased N2 latency and diminished P3b amplitude in PTSD and suggest that diminished P3b amplitude is an acquired condition in PTSD.