Event-related potentials to auditory stimuli in female Vietnam nurse veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

Psychophysiology. 2002 Jan;39(1):49-63. doi: 10.1017/S0048577202001002.

Abstract

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been found to show several event-related brain potential (ERP) abnormalities including reduced target P3b amplitude, P50 suppression, and P2 amplitude/intensity slope. Female Vietnam nurse veterans with (n = 29) and without (n = 38) current PTSD completed P50 paired-click, three-tone "oddball" and four-tone stimulus-intensity modulation procedures. Opposite to previous findings, the current PTSD group had larger target P3b amplitudes and increased P2 amplitude/intensity slopes. Reduced P50 suppression was associated with increased severity of general psychopathology, but not with PTSD diagnosis. Findings suggest that target P3b amplitude and P2 amplitude/intensity slope abnormalities reflect different pathophysiological processes. Future research is needed to determine whether the opposite ERP abnormalities observed in this PTSD sample reflect gender-, trauma-, or sample-specific findings.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Nurses / psychology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / physiopathology*
  • Veterans / psychology*
  • Vietnam