Classification of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder using visual brain evoked P3s to traumatic stimuli.
BACKGROUND
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) typically involves a re-experiencing of traumatic events. In a previous P3 study it was found that PTSD patients react both selectively and involuntarily to combat-related pictures, exhibiting augmented P3 event-related potentials and thus providing a brain activity measure. The clinical application of these findings in differentiating PTSD patients from controls was tested.


METHODS
Twenty Israeli combat veterans suffering from PTSD and 20 age-matched veterans without PTSD were evaluated. P3 potentials were recorded at Pz and Cz in response to visual motor-task target stimuli (pictures of domestic animals), non-target probe stimuli (combat-related pictures), and non-target irrelevant stimuli (pictures of furnishings and flowers).


RESULTS
Using the Fisher Linear Discrimination Method the P3 measures correctly classified 90% of the PTSD patients and 85% of the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Visual P3s recorded in response to combat-related pictorial stimuli may introduce an efficient tool for studying higher brain activity in PTSD, complementing other behavioural and psychophysiological measurements.
Attias
J
J
Institute for Noise Hazards Research, I.D.F., Medical Corps, Chaim-Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
Bleich
A
A
Gilat
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*