BACKGROUND: Although several studies have documented an attentional bias toward threat in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the nature of this bias has not been clearly delineated. The present study utilized eye tracking technology to delineate the time course and components of attentional bias for threat cues in combat-related PTSD. METHODS: Veterans with PTSD (n = 21), combat-exposed veterans without PTSD (n = 16), and nonveteran controls (n = 21) viewed emotional expressions (fearful, disgusted, happy) paired with neutral expressions for 3 s presentations. RESULTS: Veterans with PTSD maintained attention longer on the fearful and disgusted expressions relative to the happy expression. This negativity bias was sustained over the course of the 3 s trials, and robustly distinguished veterans with PTSD from both veterans without PTSD and nonveteran controls. CONCLUSIONS: Dwelling on potential threat cues may reflect current PTSD symptoms, or it could reflect a cognitive vulnerability factor for PTSD.
BACKGROUND: Although several studies have documented an attentional bias toward threat in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the nature of this bias has not been clearly delineated. The present study utilized eye tracking technology to delineate the time course and components of attentional bias for threat cues in combat-related PTSD. METHODS: Veterans with PTSD (n = 21), combat-exposed veterans without PTSD (n = 16), and nonveteran controls (n = 21) viewed emotional expressions (fearful, disgusted, happy) paired with neutral expressions for 3 s presentations. RESULTS: Veterans with PTSD maintained attention longer on the fearful and disgusted expressions relative to the happy expression. This negativity bias was sustained over the course of the 3 s trials, and robustly distinguished veterans with PTSD from both veterans without PTSD and nonveteran controls. CONCLUSIONS: Dwelling on potential threat cues may reflect current PTSD symptoms, or it could reflect a cognitive vulnerability factor for PTSD.
Authors: Amit Lazarov; Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez; Amanda Tamman; Louise Falzon; Xi Zhu; Donald E Edmondson; Yuval Neria Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2018-09-04 Impact factor: 7.723
Authors: Gabrielle I Liverant; Melissa M Amick; Shimrit K Black; Michael Esterman; Blair E Wisco; Molly C Gibian; Brian P Marx; Regina E McGlinchey Journal: J Nerv Ment Dis Date: 2017-09 Impact factor: 1.899
Authors: Nicholas T Bott; Alex Lange; Dorene Rentz; Elizabeth Buffalo; Paul Clopton; Stuart Zola Journal: Front Neurosci Date: 2017-06-28 Impact factor: 4.677
Authors: Bernhard Fehlmann; David Coynel; Nathalie Schicktanz; Annette Milnik; Leo Gschwind; Pascal Hofmann; Andreas Papassotiropoulos; Dominique J-F de Quervain Journal: Cereb Cortex Commun Date: 2020-07-21