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Inhibitory control and alcohol use history predict changes in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms
Joseph DeGutis1, Sam Agnoli1, Charles E Gaudet2
1Translational Research Center for Traumatic Brain Injury and Stress Disorders, VA Boston Healthcare System.
Neuropsychology
|June 16, 2023
Summary
Predictors of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include lower inhibitory control and a history of alcohol use. These factors appear stable and may indicate risk or resilience in veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can become chronic.
- Predictors of PTSD symptom trajectory, particularly in diagnosed individuals, require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate predictors of PTSD symptom changes over a 2-year period in post-9/11 veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
- To examine the relationship between baseline cognitive function, alcohol use history, and PTSD symptom chronicity.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 187 post-9/11 veterans with PTSD underwent two clinical and cognitive evaluations approximately 2 years apart.
- Assessed PTSD symptoms, inhibitory control (Color-Word Inhibition, Inhibition/Switching), other executive functions, and lifetime drinking history.
Main Results:
- Greater PTSD symptom reduction correlated with lower lifetime alcohol consumption and better baseline inhibitory control.
- Veterans with improved, chronic, or worsened PTSD symptoms differed significantly in baseline inhibitory control and drinking history.
- Changes in PTSD symptoms were not associated with changes in inhibitory control or alcohol use.
Conclusions:
- Inhibitory control and alcohol use history appear to be stable risk or resiliency factors for PTSD chronicity in diagnosed veterans.
- These findings highlight the importance of these stable factors in understanding PTSD trajectories.
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