title: Deficits in short-term memory in posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the memory function of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to that of matched comparison subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vietnam veterans with combat-related PTSD (N = 26) were compared to physically healthy comparison subjects (N = 15) matched for age, race, sex, years of education, handedness, socioeconomic status, and alcohol abuse. Memory and intelligence were assessed with a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the Russell revision of the Wechsler Memory Scale, the Selective Reminding Test, and subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PTSD patients scored significantly lower than the comparison subjects on the Wechsler Memory Scale logical memory measures for immediate recall (mean = 11.6, SD = 3.3 versus mean = 20.9, SD = 6.6) and delayed recall (mean = 8.0, SD = 3.3 versus mean = 17.8, SD = 6.4). The PTSD patients also scored significantly lower on the total recall, long-term storage, long-term retrieval, and delayed recall measures for the verbal component of the Selective Reminding Test and on the recall, long-term storage, long-term retrieval, and continuous long-term retrieval measures for the visual component of the Selective Reminding Test. There was no significant difference between the PTSD patients and comparison subjects in prorated full-scale IQ as measured by the WAIS-R.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with PTSD may have deficits in short-term memory. Counseling and rehabilitation that address these deficits may be of value for PTSD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bremner
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Southwick
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Innis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Charney
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014888:Wechsler Scales