The relationship between Hippocampal asymmetry and working memory processing in combat-related PTSD - a monozygotic twin study.

Background: PTSD is associated with reduction in hippocampal volume and abnormalities in hippocampal function. Hippocampal asymmetry has received less attention, but potentially could indicate lateralised differences in vulnerability to trauma. The P300 event-related potential component reflects the immediate processing of significant environmental stimuli and has generators in several brain regions including the hippocampus.

Working memory function in post-traumatic stress disorder: an event-related potential study.

Objective: Previous studies using event-related potentials (ERPs) in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have demonstrated reduced P3 amplitude during target detection and working memory (WM) processes. This study investigated effects of psychotropic medication (primarily antidepressants) on these ERP components.

Methods: ERPs were recorded from 26 scalp sites in 34 PTSD patients (20 unmedicated, 14 medicated) with age- and gender-matched controls during a WM paradigm that involved detection of target letters on a visual display.

Event-related potentials to auditory stimuli in monozygotic twins discordant for combat: association with PTSD.

Studies have demonstrated ERP abnormalities related to concentration difficulties in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We used an identical-twin, case-control design to investigate whether these abnormalities reflect pre-trauma vulnerability or the acquired consequence of PTSD. Vietnam combat veterans and their non-combat-exposed, identical twins completed a three-tone oddball task.

Integrative assessment of brain function in PTSD: brain stability and working memory.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is characterized by symptoms of hyperarousal, avoidance and intrusive trauma-related memories and deficits in everyday memory and attention. Separate studies in PTSD have found abnormalities in electroencephalogram EEG, in event-related potential (ERP) and behavioral measures of working memory and attention. The present study seeks to determine whether these abnormalities are related and the extent to which they share this relationship with clinical symptoms.

Integrative assessment of brain and cognitive function in post-traumatic stress disorder.

The present study combined neuropsychological and electrophysiological measures to obtain a comprehensive profile of the everyday attentional and memory dysfunction reported in PTSD. The event-related potential (ERP) literature has consistently found abnormalities in late components (N2, P3) reflecting working memory (WM) function. However, the neuropsychological profile reported in the literature has considerable variation.

Spontaneous alpha peak frequency predicts working memory performance across the age span.

Working memory capacity has been consistently shown to decline with increasing age. Mechanisms underlying this decline are poorly understood. One index that has been found to predict performance on memory tests is alpha peak frequency, the peak of spectral alpha power of the EEG.