title: PTSD psychiatric patients exhibit a deficit in remembering.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of PTSD on levels of awareness in a recognition memory task. A group of PTSD psychiatric patients and a control group without any traumatic experience were compared in remembering (R) versus knowing (K) recognition using non-trauma-related words. Results showed that overall recognition did not differ between the two groups, but in the PTSD group a significantly different pattern of Remember and Know responses was produced, indicating a shift from remembering to knowing. However, this shift from remembering to knowing in individuals with PTSD is associated with modifications in the trait anxiety level. These results are interpreted within theoretical frameworks in which R responses could be associated with distinctiveness (Rajaram, 1996) and conceptual processing (Ehlers & Clark, 2000). These collective findings would suggest the possibility that a poor general ability in the formation of source memory may eventually be a common characteristic across different types of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Université François-Rabelais, Département de Psychologie, UMR CNRS 6215, Tours, France. g.tapia@landesdegascogne.com
authors.forename: Géraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tapia
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clarys
authors.forename: Wissam
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El Hage
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belzung
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isingrini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*