Posttraumatic Outcomes and a New Method to Diagnose and Monitor Patients through MEG

摘要

From 2003 to 2008, there were 40,000 cases of PTSD reported among Soldiers. This psychiatric disorder can affect Soldiers behaviorally, biologically, and neurologically. However, PTSD is not the only reaction of Soldiers to traumatic events. Research shows that positive outcomes are a more common reaction to traumatic events. Posttraumatic growth and the increase of resilience in Soldiers have been reported in many cases. Currently the Army is seeking new ways to diagnose PTSD as well as measure the effectiveness of the interventions put forth to treat it. MEG data along with bootstrap analysis gives researchers the ability to objectively diagnose PTSD and the success of interventions. If the severity of PTSD predictions can be better refined through such measurement, this may provide objective evidence as to whether or not certain interventions are actually improving a Soldier's mental health.