Citation

Feinstein A, Hershkop S, Ouchterlony D, Jardine A, McCullagh S. J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosci. 2002; 14(1): 25-30.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ant.feinstein@utoronto.ca

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, American Neuropsychiatric Association, Publisher American Psychiatric Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11884651

Abstract

The relationship between posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was examined in 282 outpatients at a mean of 53 days after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Patients were assessed for TBI severity, intrusive and avoidant PTSD-type symptoms, and psychological distress, and were stratified into four comparison groups by duration of PTA. Levels of PTSD-type symptoms and psychological distress did not differ significantly between groups. Even patients with PTA >1 week reported intrusive and avoidant PTSD-type symptoms. However, when patients were stratified into those with PTA of <1 hour or >1 hour, the former were more likely to report such symptoms. TBI patients with brief PTA are more likely to experience PTSD-type reactions, but severe TBI with prolonged PTA is not incompatible with such reactions in a subset of patients. Possible mechanisms that could account for this finding are discussed.

Language: en