title: Performance on visuospatial copying tasks in individuals with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: The ability to copy figures was evaluated in 41 subjects with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 27 trauma-exposed, non-PTSD comparison subjects. Individuals with PTSD demonstrated significantly impaired performance. However, after adjusting for pre-trauma variables, there was only a marginally significant association between figure-copying performance and PTSD. These findings are consistent with pre-trauma visual-spatial impairment as being among the risk factors for chronic PTSD.
authors.affiliation: VA Research Service, 718 Smyth Rd, Manchester, NH 03104, USA. tamara@metro2000.net
authors.forename: Tamara V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Gurvits
authors.forename: Natasha B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Lasko
authors.forename: Ann L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Repak
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Scott P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Orr
authors.forename: Roger K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Pitman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology; D014744:Vietnam