The Separate and Cumulative Effects of TBI and PTSD on Cognitive Function and Emotional Control
Abstract
The emotional Stroop task with combat-related words was shown to be a robust and sensitive measure of attentional bias to trauma-relevant material in OEF/OIF Veterans with PTSD. It shows promise as an objective behavioral test that might be able to distinguish between OEF/OIF combat Veterans with a PTSD diagnosis and those without. However, the results should be interpreted with caution until a sufficiently large control group of demographicallymatched Veterans is tested. In addition, the present group of OIF/OEF Veterans with mild TBI and/or PTSD were impaired at inhibiting inappropriate motor responses, which can have important implications for daily life. Increased levels of impulsivity and a decreased ability to filter out distracting and emotionally intrusive information can negatively impact social and occupational functioning. In the future, computerized training interventions that target emotional and cognitive control skills may assist these OEF/OIF Veterans in returning to their previous levels of productivity. The carefully-designed computerized tasks implemented in this project may be more accurate in assessing the cognitive and affective sequelae of TBI and PTSD than self-report questionnaires.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA551894
Entities
People
- Diane Swick
Organizations
- Veterans Administration Medical Center