ABSTRACT
The present study measured physiological function (heart rate [HR], systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], sublingual temperature, and respiration rate) in a nonresearch setting--the medical triage area of a large Veterans Affairs Medical Center while patients were awaiting physical examination. Subjects were 32 Vietnam veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 26 Vietnam-era veterans with no combat experience. Results indicated that PTSD veterans had significantly higher HR, SBP, and DBP, but not sublingual temperature or respiration rate. These data support the position that individuals with PTSD do indeed demonstrate higher levels of cardiovascular arousal across settings.
Subject(s)
Arousal/physiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/physiopathology , Adult , Blood Pressure , Heart Rate , Humans , Male , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Fifty victims of recent motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), who had sought medical attention after their accidents, were assessed for possible psychological morbidity as a result of the accident. Forty age, gender-matched controls were also assessed with the same instruments. Forty-six percent of the MVA victims met the criteria for current post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) as a result of the accident while 20% showed a sub-syndromal version (the reexperiencing symptom cluster plus either the avoidance/numbing cluster or the over-arousal cluster) of PTSD. Although all MVA victims showed some form of driving reluctance, only 1 S met the criteria for driving phobia. Those MVA victims who met the criteria for PTSD or sub-syndromal PTSD were significantly more likely to have experienced previous trauma, other than a serious MVA, and were more likely (P = 0.008) to have previously met the criteria for PTSD as a result of that trauma. Forty-eight percent of MVA victims who met the criteria for current PTSD also met the criteria for current major depression. Significantly more current MVA-PTSDs had suffered previous major depressive episodes.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Traffic/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Care Team , Personality Assessment , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychologyABSTRACT
In the course of conducting a controlled comparison of progressive muscle relaxation and thermal biofeedback as possible substitutes for second-stage (sympatholytic) antihypertensive medications, we measured reactivity (heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure) to three different stressors (mental arithmetic, cold pressor, and negative mental imagery) before and after treatment and drug withdrawal. Neither treatment was consistently effective in reducing reactivity across a variety of stressors. Relaxation led to more reductions in some aspect of reactivity than did biofeedback. The modest level of reductions in reactivity were seen more for mental arithmetic and systolic blood pressure.
Subject(s)
Arousal , Biofeedback, Psychology , Hypertension/therapy , Relaxation Therapy , Blood Pressure , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Muscle Relaxation , Skin TemperatureABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the data available on the relationship of substance abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Delimiting the review to those studies of Vietnam veterans, we found that levels of combat exposure seemed to be positively related to subsequent alcohol use, although not all studies confirmed this relationship. When studies of patients seeking treatment for PTSD were examined, we learned that 60-80% of these patients had concurrent diagnoses of substance abuse, alcohol abuse, or dependence. Methodological limitations of all the studies are discussed and conclusions regarding the status of the PTSD-substance abuse relationship are drawn cautiously. Alternative suggestions for treatment are presented and discussed.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism/epidemiology , Combat Disorders/epidemiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Veterans/psychology , Alcoholism/psychology , Combat Disorders/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Male , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , VietnamSubject(s)
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Adult , Humans , Male , Veterans/psychology , VietnamSubject(s)
Arousal , Hypertension/psychology , Referral and Consultation , Social Environment , Adult , Aged , Anxiety/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Comparisons were made between a group of male Vietnam veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (n = 11) and an age and sex matched group of non-veteran controls (n = 11) on their psychophysiological responding (heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), forehead EMG, skin resistance level, and peripheral temperature) to mental arithmetic and an audiotape of combat sounds played at gradually increasing volume levels. The two groups responded differently to the combat sounds in terms of HR, systolic BP, and forehead EMG. The HR response could correctly classify 95.5% of the combined sample. Implications of these findings for the basis of PTSD are discussed.
