Lecture 33 - PTSD

Question 1

Biology of fear and changes on neurofunctional imaging in PTSD

Answer 1

Amygdala – threat processing; increased activity

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex – fear regulation; decreased activity

Hippocampus – fear remmebering; interpretation of context

Question 2

Criteria for PTSD: 
- A) 
B) 
C)
D)
E)
F) Duration

Answer 2

A) An exposure to a traumatizing event (having it happen to you, or witnessing it; learning something traumatic happened to a loved one; repeated expsoures to aversive events)

B) Intrusive Sx: Dreams, memories, flashbacks; psycholigcal responses to cues; physiological responses to cues

C) Avoidance behaviors – 1+

D) Alertation is cognition and mood — 2+

E) Chnagesin arousal and reactivity – 2+

F) 6 months; causes impairment

Question 3

Specifiers of PTSD

Answer 3

1) With dissociative Symptoms – Depersonalization, Derealization
2) With Delayed Expression— doesn’t manifest until 6 months later

Question 4

Treatment for PTSD

Answer 4

CBT
Group therapy

SSRIs
Venlafaxine (SNRI, effexor)