Burriss Louisa, Ayers Edwin, Powell D A
Shirley L. Buchanan Neuroscience Laboratory (151A), Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
J Psychiatr Res. 2007 Nov;41(9):785-94. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2006.04.004. Epub 2006 May 22.
The question addressed in the present study was whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) results in associative learning impairments. To answer this question, differential trace eyeblink (EB) conditioning was studied in combat veterans with PTSD, combat veterans without PTSD, and non-combat veterans without PTSD. Veterans with PTSD showed normal EB discrimination, suggesting that associative learning is not impaired by PTSD. Veterans with PTSD also showed normal extinction. However, subjects with PTSD showed more EB conditioned responses (CRs), as well as increased CR amplitude. Increased response amplitude to the airpuff unconditioned stimulus presented alone (viz. the unconditioned response), as well as to the airpuff on CS+ trials during conditioning also occurred in the subjects with PTSD. These findings suggest increased reactivity in combat veterans with PTSD, compared to those without PTSD, but such heightened reactivity does not affect somatomotor associative learning.
本研究探讨的问题是创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）是否会导致联想学习障碍。为了回答这个问题，对患有PTSD的退伍军人、未患PTSD的退伍军人以及未患PTSD的非退伍军人进行了差异痕迹眨眼（EB）条件反射研究。患有PTSD的退伍军人表现出正常的EB辨别能力，这表明PTSD不会损害联想学习。患有PTSD的退伍军人也表现出正常的消退能力。然而，患有PTSD的受试者表现出更多的EB条件反应（CRs），以及CR幅度增加。患有PTSD的受试者在单独呈现气吹非条件刺激时（即非条件反应）以及在条件反射期间CS+试验中对气吹的反应幅度也增加。这些发现表明，与未患PTSD的退伍军人相比，患有PTSD的退伍军人反应性增强，但这种增强的反应性不会影响躯体运动联想学习。
