Psychophysiologic assessment of women with posttraumatic stress disorder resulting from childhood sexual abuse

Citation
Sp. Orr et al., Psychophysiologic assessment of women with posttraumatic stress disorder resulting from childhood sexual abuse, J CONS CLIN, 66(6), 1998, pp. 906-913
Citations number
29
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF CONSULTING AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
ISSN journal
0022006X → ACNP
Volume
66
Issue
6
Year of publication
1998
Pages
906 - 913
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-006X(199812)66:6<906:PAOWWP>2.0.ZU;2-I
Abstract
Heart rate, skin conductance, and left lateral frontalis and corrugator fac ial electromyogram responses were measured during script-driven imagery of personal childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and other life experiences among wome n with and without Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3 rd ed., rev., American Psychiatric Association, 1987)-diagnosed posttraumat ic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from CSA. Women with current PTSD (n = 29) showed larger physiologic responses than those who never had PTSD (II = Is) during personal sexual abuse imagery but not during imagery of stressf ul, nonabuse-related life experiences. Responses of individuals with lifeti me, but not current, PTSD (n = 24) fell between the other groups. An a prio ri discriminant function, derived from physiologic responses of previously studied individuals, correctly classified 66% of women with current PTSD an d 78% of women who never had PTSD.