Neurological status of Vietnam veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.
This study investigated neurological status in 27 medication-free outpatient Vietnam veterans meeting DSM-III-R criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 15 non-PTSD combat control subjects, all without alcohol or drug dependence or abuse during the past year. Subjects underwent neurological examination, neuropsychological testing, and sleep-deprived EEG. PTSD subjects showed significantly more neurological soft signs than non-PTSD subjects. Neither substance dependence/abuse nor the more frequent history of developmental problems in PTSD subjects accounted for this difference. There were no significant EEG or neuropsychological testing group differences; however, there were significant correlations between several neuropsychological test scores and total neurological soft signs.
Gurvits
T V
TV
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire 03103.
Lasko
N B
NB
Schachter
S C
SC
Kuhne
A A
AA
Orr
S P
SP
Pitman
R K
RK
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology; D014744:Vietnam