Posttraumatic stress disorder, flashbacks, and pseudomemories in closed head injury.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is rarely diagnosed in patients with significant head injury. This paper reviews two patients who were amnesic for events surrounding their motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) but developed delayed-onset PTSD. Symptoms included vivid images of the MVAs that were based on information learnt following the trauma. These cases indicate that amnesic head injured patients can suffer pseudomemories that are phenomenologically similar to flashbacks observed in PTSD. Implications for understanding the nature of flashbacks are discussed.
Bryant
R A
RA
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000647:Amnesia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001364:Awareness; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000523:psychology; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*