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| Neurocognitive Functioning
In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. |
Horner MD, Hamner MB. Mental Health Service, Ralph H. Johnson Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina 29401,
USA. hornermd@musc.edu
This paper reviews the literature on performance on standard neuropsychological
tests among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Of
19 studies, 16 reported impairment of attention or immediate memory
(or both); however, most of these studies included PTSD patients with
significant psychiatric comorbidity, so that the extent to which the
observed deficits are specifically attributable to PTSD remains unclear.
Other potential confounds, including medical illness, substance abuse,
and motivational factors, further preclude definitive conclusions at
present. Results of structural and functional neuroimaging studies of
PTSD are also summarized. Two studies have reported correlations between
hippocampal volume and cognitive findings in PTSD patients; functional
studies have indicated specific findings in limbic regions, although
the relationship of these results to neuropsychological performance
remains to be explored. interventions,'' she concluded.
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