Persistence of combat-related posttraumatic stress symptoms for 75 years

Investigations of the duration of combat-related posttraumatic stress sympt oms have focused mainly on survivors of World War II and the Vietnam War wi th little attention to surviving veterans of World War I. The authors descr ibe a case in which posttraumatic stress symptoms persisted for 75 years in a World War I combat veteran and increased in frequency toward the end of his life accompanied by advancing dementia and hospitalization. The case il lustrates that posttraumatic stress symptoms may be lifelong and exacerbate d by various consequences of aging, even if they are not disabling.