The Affect of PTSD on Reaction Time
Mentor 1
Christine Larson
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
5-4-2019 1:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2019 3:30 PM
Description
A majority of research done on individuals suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are people who have acquired it from participating in active military zones. While the symptoms from these situations tend to be more severe, there are still people who go through common traumas (such as motor vehicle collisions, assault, or recreational accidents) who can develop symptoms of PTSD. Studying the disorder in a more common setting can give people a better idea of what kinds of symptoms to expect as well as how to treat it.
This study is longitudinal which tests individuals at certain points in time with different tasks. There are computer tasks performed 2 weeks after the accident, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months. One task specifically, WebNeuro, tests cognitive ability, reaction time, and memory among other things. I will specifically be testing the correlation between reaction time in those who tested positive with PTSD after 2 weeks after their accident and 6 months. In addition to this, I will compare these results to those who do not have PTSD at the same time points. I believe those symptomatic of PTSD will have slower reaction times than those who do not.
Data will be analyzed from 118 total subjects, 31 of whom are PTSD positive. 31 PTSD negative people will be matched by demographic, gender, and age for a true control group with no confounding variables.
The Affect of PTSD on Reaction Time
Union Wisconsin Room
A majority of research done on individuals suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are people who have acquired it from participating in active military zones. While the symptoms from these situations tend to be more severe, there are still people who go through common traumas (such as motor vehicle collisions, assault, or recreational accidents) who can develop symptoms of PTSD. Studying the disorder in a more common setting can give people a better idea of what kinds of symptoms to expect as well as how to treat it.
This study is longitudinal which tests individuals at certain points in time with different tasks. There are computer tasks performed 2 weeks after the accident, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months. One task specifically, WebNeuro, tests cognitive ability, reaction time, and memory among other things. I will specifically be testing the correlation between reaction time in those who tested positive with PTSD after 2 weeks after their accident and 6 months. In addition to this, I will compare these results to those who do not have PTSD at the same time points. I believe those symptomatic of PTSD will have slower reaction times than those who do not.
Data will be analyzed from 118 total subjects, 31 of whom are PTSD positive. 31 PTSD negative people will be matched by demographic, gender, and age for a true control group with no confounding variables.
