NEUROLOGICAL STATUS OF VIETNAM VETERANS WITH CHRONIC POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

This study investigated neurological status in 27 medication-free outp atient Vietnam veterans meeting DSM-III-R criteria for posttraumatic s tress disorder (PTSD) and 15 non-PTSD combat control subjects, all wit hout alcohol or drug dependence or abuse during the past year. Subject s underwent neurological examination, neuropsychological testing, and sleep-deprived EEG. PTSD subjects showed significantly more neurologic al soft signs than non-PTSD subjects. Neither substance dependence/abu se nor the more frequent history of developmental problems in PTSD sub jects accounted for this difference. There were no significant EEG or neuropsychological testing group differences; however, there were sign ificant correlations between several neuropsychological test scores an d total neurological soft signs.