Attention Training Normalizes Combat-Related PTSD Effects on Emotional Stroop Performance Using Lexically Matched Word Lists

摘要

We examined two groups of combat veterans, one with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (n=27) and another without PTSD (n=16), using an emotional Stroop task (EST) with word lists matched across a series of lexical variables (e.g., length, frequency, neighbourhood size, etc.). Participants with PTSD exhibited a strong EST effect (longer colour-naming latencies for combat-relevant words as compared to neutral words). Veterans without PTSD produced no such effect, t <.918, p >.37. Participants with PTSD then completed eight sessions of attention training (Attention Control Training or Attention Bias Modification Training) with a dot-probe task utilizing threatening and neutral faces. After training, participants - especially those undergoing Attention Control Training - no longer produced longer colour-naming latencies for combat-related words as compared to other words, indicating normalized attention allocation processes after treatment.