title: Peritraumatic tonic immobility is associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms in undergraduate Brazilian students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tonic immobility is a defensive reaction occurring under extreme life threats. Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reporting peritraumatic tonic immobility show the most severe symptoms and a poorer response to treatment. This study investigated the predictive value of tonic immobility for posttraumatic stress symptoms in a non-clinical sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ninety-eight college students exposed to various life threatening events were selected to participate. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version (PCL-C) and tonic immobility questions were used. Linear regression models were fitted to investigate the association between peritraumatic tonic immobility and PCL-C scores. Peritraumatic dissociation, peritraumatic panic reactions, negative affect, gender, type of trauma, and time since trauma were considered as confounding variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant association between peritraumatic tonic immobility and PTSD symptoms in a non-clinical sample exposed to various traumas, even after regression controlled for confounding variables (β = 1.99, p = 0.017).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This automatic reaction under extreme life threatening stress, although adaptive for defense, may have pathological consequences as implied by its association with PTSD symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil.
authors.forename: Liana Catarina L
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Portugal
authors.forename: Mirtes Garcia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Rita de Cássia S
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Gisella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: Isabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rocha-Rego
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marques-Portella
authors.forename: Mauro V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Mendlowicz
authors.forename: Evandro S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiszman
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Volchan
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Figueira
authors.forename: Letícia de
authors.initials: Ld
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046353:Immobility Response, Tonic / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult