Relationship between heart rate and emotional memory in subjects with a past history of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Considerable evidence suggests that the adrenergic system plays an important role in the biological mechanism of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the present pilot study the association between heart rate (HR) recorded prior to slide viewing and long-term emotional memory was compared between human subjects with a past history of PTSD (n = 6) and healthy women controls (n = 12). The correlation between HR during the anticipatory period and emotional memory was significant for the PTSD group (r = 0.93, P < 0.001) but not for the control group (r = 0.21, NS). The adrenergic reaction appears to be associated with emotional memory, which may be strengthened in subjects with a past history of PTSD.