Perceptual processing advantages for trauma-related visual cues in post-traumatic stress disorder.
BACKGROUND: Intrusive re-experiencing in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comprises distressing sensory impressions from the trauma that seem to occur 'out of the blue'. A key question is how intrusions are triggered. One possibility is that PTSD is characterized by a processing adva...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012
|
| _version_ | 1797095865104465920 |
|---|---|
| author | Kleim, B Ehring, T Ehlers, A |
| author_facet | Kleim, B Ehring, T Ehlers, A |
| author_sort | Kleim, B |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | BACKGROUND: Intrusive re-experiencing in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comprises distressing sensory impressions from the trauma that seem to occur 'out of the blue'. A key question is how intrusions are triggered. One possibility is that PTSD is characterized by a processing advantage for stimuli that resemble those that accompanied the trauma, which would lead to increased detection of such cues in the environment. METHOD: We used a blurred picture identification task in a cross-sectional (n=99) and a prospective study (n=221) of trauma survivors. RESULTS: Participants with acute stress disorder (ASD) or PTSD, but not trauma survivors without these disorders, identified trauma-related pictures, but not general threat pictures, better than neutral pictures. There were no group differences in the rate of trauma-related answers to other picture categories. The relative processing advantage for trauma-related pictures correlated with re-experiencing and dissociation, and predicted PTSD at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A perceptual processing bias for trauma-related stimuli may contribute to the involuntary triggering of intrusive trauma memories in PTSD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:34:03Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:cf54cea7-ed6d-4e92-8f57-ae257139eec1 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:34:03Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:cf54cea7-ed6d-4e92-8f57-ae257139eec12022-03-27T07:41:34ZPerceptual processing advantages for trauma-related visual cues in post-traumatic stress disorder.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:cf54cea7-ed6d-4e92-8f57-ae257139eec1EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2012Kleim, BEhring, TEhlers, A BACKGROUND: Intrusive re-experiencing in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comprises distressing sensory impressions from the trauma that seem to occur 'out of the blue'. A key question is how intrusions are triggered. One possibility is that PTSD is characterized by a processing advantage for stimuli that resemble those that accompanied the trauma, which would lead to increased detection of such cues in the environment. METHOD: We used a blurred picture identification task in a cross-sectional (n=99) and a prospective study (n=221) of trauma survivors. RESULTS: Participants with acute stress disorder (ASD) or PTSD, but not trauma survivors without these disorders, identified trauma-related pictures, but not general threat pictures, better than neutral pictures. There were no group differences in the rate of trauma-related answers to other picture categories. The relative processing advantage for trauma-related pictures correlated with re-experiencing and dissociation, and predicted PTSD at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A perceptual processing bias for trauma-related stimuli may contribute to the involuntary triggering of intrusive trauma memories in PTSD. |
| spellingShingle | Kleim, B Ehring, T Ehlers, A Perceptual processing advantages for trauma-related visual cues in post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| title | Perceptual processing advantages for trauma-related visual cues in post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| title_full | Perceptual processing advantages for trauma-related visual cues in post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| title_fullStr | Perceptual processing advantages for trauma-related visual cues in post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceptual processing advantages for trauma-related visual cues in post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| title_short | Perceptual processing advantages for trauma-related visual cues in post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| title_sort | perceptual processing advantages for trauma related visual cues in post traumatic stress disorder |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kleimb perceptualprocessingadvantagesfortraumarelatedvisualcuesinposttraumaticstressdisorder AT ehringt perceptualprocessingadvantagesfortraumarelatedvisualcuesinposttraumaticstressdisorder AT ehlersa perceptualprocessingadvantagesfortraumarelatedvisualcuesinposttraumaticstressdisorder |