Neuropsychology of PTSD

Book excerpt: The emotional and behavioral symptoms associated with PTSD have been widely studied, but until recently, much less was known about neuropsychological aspects of the disorder. This volume brings together leading experts to synthesize current knowledge on how trauma affects the brain. Integrating compelling insights from neurobiology with clinical and cognitive perspectives, the book presents cutting-edge theoretical advances with major implications for assessment and treatment. Clearly written and well documented, the volume explores the emergence of neuropsychological dysfunction in specific trauma populations: children, adults, older adults, and victims of closed-head injury. Coverage encompasses a range of chronic problems with memory, attention, and information processing, including biases in the ways that PTSD sufferers attend to and remember emotionally relevant information, as well as how they encode and retrieve trauma-related memories. Throughout, authors back up their arguments with salient empirical research, highlighting key findings from functional neuroimaging and electrophysiology. Methodological dilemmas and controversies are also addressed, such as the challenges of studying a disorder with frequent psychiatric and medical comorbidities. Timely and authoritative, this comprehensive work provides vital knowledge for trauma specialists and other researchers and clinicians, including neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists. It will also be of interest to advanced students in these areas.