Psychophysiologic response during script-driven imagery as an outcome measure in posttraumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND

A psychophysiologic method previously validated in Vietnam veterans was used to evaluate the responses of medication-free Israeli posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients to script-driven imagery, before and after treatment with systematic desensitization.

METHOD

Skin conductance, heart rate, and frontalis EMG responses during imagery of traumatic events were assessed in three unmedicated Israeli PTSD patients. The t test of significance was used to compare the magnitude of the response to traumatic imagery with that of responses to imagery of nine other events.

RESULTS

The elevated physiologic responses to traumatic imagery, observed before treatment, normalized after systematic desensitization. Imagery of traumata that were not treated by desensitization continued to produce elevated responses.

CONCLUSION

Physiologic response during traumatic imagery may be useful in the evaluation of differential treatment outcome in PTSD.