Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
Published on: December 6, 2024
Associations Among Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Substance Use, and Affective Attentional Processing in
Gabrielle I Liverant1, Melissa M Amick, Shimrit K Black
1*Psychology Department, Suffolk University; †New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center and the Translational Research Center for Traumatic Brain Injury and Stress Disorders, VA Boston Healthcare System; ‡Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine; §Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts; ∥University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina; ¶National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Science Division, VA Boston Healthcare System; and #Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract:
The majority of research examining affective attentional bias in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has not examined the influence of co-occurring psychiatric disorders. This study examined the individual and interactive effects of PTSD symptoms and substance use disorders (SUDs) on affective attentional processing among 323 veterans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Participants were divided into those with SUD (SUD+, n = 46) and those without (SUD-, n = 277). Substance use disorder was determined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Posttraumatic stress disorder was measured using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale. A computerized go/no-go task (Robbins et al., 1994, Robbins et al.,1998) assessed affective attentional processing. Relative to those without SUD, those with SUD showed a significant association between PTSD symptoms and increased omission and commission accuracy rates and decreased d prime. No effects of valence were found. Findings suggest the need to consider co-occurring SUD when investigating the effects of PTSD on attentional control.
More Related Videos
10:43Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
Published on: July 1, 2014
08:29Biomarkers in an Animal Model for Revealing Neural, Hematologic, and Behavioral Correlates of PTSD
Published on: October 10, 2012
Related Concept Videos
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Fugue
A hallmark feature of dissociative disorders is the dissociative fugue...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
Traumatic Memory