Scott R Vrana | Virginia Commonwealth University (original) (raw)
Papers by Scott R Vrana
Most research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been conducted on war veterans; little ... more Most research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been conducted on war veterans; little is known about the incidence of traumatic events, PTSD, and posttraumatic symptoms among other populations. This study was undertaken to assess the :ncidence of traumatic events of sufficient intensity to potentially cause PTSD among a sample of 440 college students. Subjects completed the Traumatic Events scale, the Purdue PTSD Scale, the Impact of Events Scale, the Mississippi Scale for PTSD, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Alcohol Questionnaire. Only 17% of the respondents reported experiencing no traumatic event. One-third of the sample Dad experienced four or more separate events, and 9% of the sample had experienced seven or more events. 'lexpected deaths, accidents, and other life-threatening situations we,:e reported frequently. Males reported more accidents and life-threats; females reported more rape or abuse. The findings suggest that these traumatic events often result in significant psychological symptoms, and people who are survivors of rape, abuse, crime, or an event they cannot talk about are at particular risk. Experiencing multiple events appeared to increase the risk for psychological symptoms. A relationship was found between traumatic experiences and later anxiety, depression and PTSD symptomatology. (NB)
Prompted by the rapid development of Pearson’s iPad-based Q-interactive platform for administerin... more Prompted by the rapid development of Pearson’s iPad-based Q-interactive platform for administering individual tests of cognitive ability, this manuscript speculates about what it would take for a computer to administer the current versions of the Wechsler individual intelligence tests without the involvement of a psychologist or psychometrist. It is concluded that we are very close to the point, given current hardware and artificial intelligence capabilities, at which administration of all subtests of the WAIS-IV and WISC-V, and all assessment functions of the human examiner, could be performed by a computer. Potential acceptability of computer administration by clients and the psychological community are considered.
Alexithymia is believed to involve deficits in emotion processing and imagery ability. Previous f... more Alexithymia is believed to involve deficits in emotion processing and imagery ability. Previous findings suggest that it is especially related to deficits in processing the arousal dimension of emotion, and that discordance may exist between self-report and physiological responses to emotional stimuli in alexithymia. The current study used a well-established emotional imagery paradigm to examine emotion processing deficits and discordance in participants (N=86) selected based on their extreme scores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. Physiological (skin conductance, heart rate, and corrugator and zygomaticus electromyographic responses) and self-report (valence, arousal ratings) responses were monitored during imagery of anger, fear, joy and neutral scenes and emotionally neutral high arousal (action) scenes. Results from regression analyses indicated that alexithymia was largely unrelated to responses on valence-based measures (facial electromyography, valence ratings), but that it was related to arousal-based measures. Specifically, alexithymia was related to higher heart rate (HR) during neutral and lower HR during fear imagery. Alexithymia did not predict differential responses to action vs neutral imagery, suggesting specificity of deficits to emotional contexts. Evidence for discordance between physiological responses and self-report in alexithymia was obtained from within-person analyses using multilevel modeling. Results are consistent with the idea that alexithymic deficits are specific to processing emotional arousal, and suggest difficulties with parasympathetic control and emotion regulation. Alexithymia is also associated with discordance between self-reported emotional experience and physiological response to emotion, consistent with prior evidence.
With the introduction of the iPad-based Q-interactive platform for cognitive ability and achievem... more With the introduction of the iPad-based Q-interactive platform for cognitive ability and achievement test administration, psychology training programs need to adapt to effectively train doctoral-level psychologists to be competent in administering, scoring, and interpreting assessment instruments. This manuscript describes the implications for graduate training of moving to iPad-mediated administration of the Wechsler intelligence tests using the Q-interactive program by Pearson. We enumerate differences between Q-interactive and traditional assessment administration, including cost structure, technological requirements, and approach to administration. Changes to coursework, practicum, and supervision and evaluation of assessment competencies are discussed. The benefits of Q-interactive include reduced testing and training time and the decrease or elimination of many types of administration and scoring errors. However, new training challenges are introduced, including the need to be proficient at trouble-shooting technology, changes in rapport-building with clients, and assessing and facilitating clients’ comfort with the platform. Challenges for course instructors and practicum supervisors include deciding which testing modality to use, increased difficulty evaluating some aspects of administration and scoring competency, and the potential for more frequent updates requiring additional training and updating of skills. We discuss the training implications of this new platform, and make specific suggestions for how training programs may respond to these changes and integrate iPad administration into their courses and practica.
Addictive Behaviors, 2005
Smoking topography was measured in trauma survivors with and without posttraumatic stress disorde... more Smoking topography was measured in trauma survivors with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after recalling trauma-related and neutral experiences. Analysis of covariance was performed on puff topography and mood measures using nicotine dependence scores and current major depressive disorder as covariates. Puff volumes were higher in the PTSD group than in the non-PTSD group. The PTSD group exhibited stable puff onset intervals while the non-PTSD group exhibited significantly shorter intervals following trauma recall. These findings support a ''ceiling effect'' hypothesis in which individuals with PTSD perpetually smoke in such a way as to maximize nicotine delivery, possibly reducing the potentially reinforcing effects of increased smoke delivery in negative affect-inducing situations. D
Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 1995
This study investigated Stroop color-naming of trauma-related words in male Vietnam combat vetera... more This study investigated Stroop color-naming of trauma-related words in male Vietnam combat veterans with (n = 42) and without (n = 15) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The anxiety connotations of the words were either very specific to the Vietnam experience (point, lead), general but still Vietnam-related (medevac, bodybags), or general and not specifically related to Vietnam (crash, griefi. All three categories of words slowed color-naming compared to neutral control words. This was true for all subjects, but the effect was more pronounced in veterans with PTSD. The generally negative but still Vietnam-related words caused more interference in colornaming than did the other categories of words, which was attributed to their ability to access Vietnam combat memories more efficiently. There was a free recall and recognition memory advantage for the emotion words, suggesting that the Stroop interference effect was mediated by an attentional bias towards the anxiety-related material rather than avoidance of it. Veterans with PTSD were slower in color-naming overall, an effect that could not be attributed to group differences in psychiatric medication, depression, or anxiety.
Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2003
This study investigated the associations among PTSD, ambulatory cardiovascular monitoring, and ph... more This study investigated the associations among PTSD, ambulatory cardiovascular monitoring, and physical health self-reports in 117 male Vietnam combat veterans (61 with PTSD and 56 without PTSD). PTSD was associated with health symptoms and number of current health conditions beyond the influence of several covariates. PTSD was associated with greater systolic blood pressure variability, and an elevated percentage of heart rate and systolic blood pressure readings above baseline.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2005
Using ambulatory methods for 1 day of monitoring, the authors of this study investigated the asso... more Using ambulatory methods for 1 day of monitoring, the authors of this study investigated the association between smoking and situational cues in 63 smokers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 32 smokers without PTSD. Generalized estimating equations contrasted 682 smoking and 444 nonsmoking situations by group status. Smoking was strongly related to craving, positive and negative affect, PTSD symptoms, restlessness, and several situational variables among PTSD smokers. For non-PTSD smokers, the only significant antecedent variables for smoking were craving, drinking coffee, being alone, not being with family, not working, and being around others who were smoking. These results are consistent with previous ambulatory findings regarding mood in smokers but also underscore that, in certain populations, mood and symptom variables may be significantly associated with ad lib smoking.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2002
This study investigated the cardiovascular responses to a relived anger task in 118 male Vietnam ... more This study investigated the cardiovascular responses to a relived anger task in 118 male Vietnam combat veterans (62 with posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and 56 without PTSD). Participants completed standardized diagnostic measures, hostility measures, and a laboratory session in which they relived a self-chosen anger memory while heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured continuously using an Ohmeda Finapres monitor. Compared with veterans without PTSD, PTSD veterans took less time to feel anger, had greater mean HR and DBP response during relived anger, and reported greater anger and anxiety during the task. There was a significant relationship between covert hostility and anger response, during and after the anger task only in participants with PTSD.
Addictive Behaviors, 1996
This study investigated the relationship between a trauma-related stressor and smoking withdrawal... more This study investigated the relationship between a trauma-related stressor and smoking withdrawal symptoms in 25 male Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using a within-subjects design. All subjects were smokers. The stressor involved a modified Stroop task. in which the veterans color-named either anxietyrelated or neutral control words. Anxiety-related words produced more withdrawal symptoms than neutral control words, including increased craving, negative affect symptoms. somatic symptoms, and lack of alertness. 93
Addictive Behaviors, 2007
The study investigated the effects of smoking a nicotinized or denicotinized cigarette on craving... more The study investigated the effects of smoking a nicotinized or denicotinized cigarette on craving, affect and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms while recalling neutral, stressful and traumatic events in smokers with and without PTSD. Smokers completed laboratory sessions during which they were presented with audiotapes of personalized scripts followed by smoking a cigarette. The effect of the script and cigarette conditions on dependent variables was evaluated. There was a main effect of script type across groups for smoking craving, negative affect and PTSD symptoms, with increased symptoms in trauma and stressful conditions. Responses were significantly higher in PTSD smokers. Smoking either cigarette type resulted in decreased craving, negative affect and PTSD symptoms in both groups. A second script presentation following smoking elicited similar responses, suggesting the ameliorative effect of having smoked a cigarette was short-lived. These results support that context and non-pharmacologic effects of smoking are important variables in smoking craving and mood, particularly in smokers with PTSD.
[
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), Jan 7, 2015
Most smokers who attempt to quit lapse within the first week and are ultimately unsuccessful in t... more Most smokers who attempt to quit lapse within the first week and are ultimately unsuccessful in their quit attempt. Nicotine withdrawal exacerbates cognitive and attentional problems and may be one factor in smoking relapse. The startle reflex response and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the response are sensitive to arousal and early attentional dysregulation. The current study examined whether startle response and PPI are related to early smoking lapse, and if this differs in people with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants with (N = 34) and without (N = 57) PTSD completed a startle reflex and PPI assessment during (1) ad lib smoking (2) on the first day of abstinence during a quit attempt. Most (88%) participants lapsed within the first week of the quit attempt. PTSD status predicted shorter time to lapse. Larger startle magnitude and greater PPI predicted a longer duration before smoking lapse. When diagnostic groups were examined separately, greater PPI p...
This paper describes three studies of the reliability and validity of a newly revised version of ... more This paper describes three studies of the reliability and validity of a newly revised version of the Purdue Posttraumatic Stress Disorder scale (PPTSD-R). The PPTSD-R is a 17-item questionnaire that yields four scores: Reexperiencing, Avoidance, Arousal, and Total. It is highly internally consistent (α = .91), and the scores are relatively stable across time. The PPTSD-R is highly correlated with
Writing about a personal stressful event has been found to have psychological and physical health... more Writing about a personal stressful event has been found to have psychological and physical health benefits, especially when physiological response increases during writing. Response training was developed to amplify appropriate physiological reactivity in imagery exposure. The present study examined whether response training enhances the benefits of written emotional disclosure. Participants were assigned to either a written emotional disclosure condition (n = 113) or a neutral writing condition (n = 133). Participants in each condition wrote for 20 minutes on 3 occasions and received response training (n = 79), stimulus training (n = 84) or no training (n = 83). Heart rate and skin conductance were recorded throughout a 10-minute baseline, 20-minute writing, and a 10-minute recovery period. Self-reported emotion was assessed in each session. One month after completing the sessions, participants completed follow-up assessments of psychological and physical health outcomes. Emotional disclosure elicited greater physiological reactivity and self-reported emotion than neutral writing. Response training amplified physiological reactivity to emotional disclosure. Greater heart rate during emotional disclosure was associated with the greatest reductions in event-related distress, depression, and physical illness symptoms at follow-up, especially among response trained participants. Results support an exposure explanation of emotional disclosure effects and are the first to demonstrate that response training facilitates emotional processing and may be a beneficial adjunct to written emotional disclosure.
Traumatology, 2013
This study used qualitative methods to examine present practices in psychologically assessing and... more This study used qualitative methods to examine present practices in psychologically assessing and treating torture survivors in National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs (NCTTP) across the United States. Twenty-five NCTTP Center Directors were contacted and 21 agreed to participate. Seventeen therapists from 10 different centers ultimately completed a survey and eight participated in a follow-up phone interview. Unstructured interviews, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire were employed by the majority of therapists to assess functioning. Psychoeducation, supportive counseling, cognitive-behavior therapy, and family counseling/therapy were the most common treatment approaches employed. Therapists identified treatment outcome research and population-specific outcome research as significant needs. Therapists identified barriers to treatment including clinic funding, lack of interpreters, and client transportation, legal, financial, and cultural/linguistic barriers.
Psychophysiology, 1995
In this study, I examined emotional modulation of the eyeblink, skin conductance, and cardiac res... more In this study, I examined emotional modulation of the eyeblink, skin conductance, and cardiac responses to an acoustic startle (103 dB[A] white noise) probe. Twenty-five female and 17 male undergraduates imagined pleasant, neutral, and fearful situations in a tone-cured imagery procedure. Both the eyeblink and skin conductance responses to startle probes were potentiated (larger magnitude, shorter latency) during fear as compared with neutral and pleasant imagery. The amount of emotional modulation in these two response systems was significantly correlated both between and within subjects. The startle probe interrupted ongoing cardiac deceleration during the imagery task, but but this interruption was not related to the emotional content of imagery.
Psychophysiology, 1998
This study examined physiological response to an encounter with and touch by an unfamiliar person... more This study examined physiological response to an encounter with and touch by an unfamiliar person. Fifty-five African American (23 male, 30 female) and 51 European American (23 male, 28 female) undergraduates participated. A Black or White interactor entered the room, introduced himself or herself, checked equipment for 30 s, and then took a pulse for 30 s. Entry of the interactor resulted in increased corrugator and zygomaticus facial muscle activity (EMG), increased skin conductance (SC), and heart rate (HR) acceleration. Corrugator EMG was greater among Black subjects; White subjects responded with more zygomatic EMG and SC and greater HR acceleration. Women showed a more positive facial expression than did men. Being touched reduced EMG and HR but resulted in increased SC. White and Black males showed more HR acceleration when encountering a Black male interactor.
Most research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been conducted on war veterans; little ... more Most research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been conducted on war veterans; little is known about the incidence of traumatic events, PTSD, and posttraumatic symptoms among other populations. This study was undertaken to assess the :ncidence of traumatic events of sufficient intensity to potentially cause PTSD among a sample of 440 college students. Subjects completed the Traumatic Events scale, the Purdue PTSD Scale, the Impact of Events Scale, the Mississippi Scale for PTSD, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Alcohol Questionnaire. Only 17% of the respondents reported experiencing no traumatic event. One-third of the sample Dad experienced four or more separate events, and 9% of the sample had experienced seven or more events. 'lexpected deaths, accidents, and other life-threatening situations we,:e reported frequently. Males reported more accidents and life-threats; females reported more rape or abuse. The findings suggest that these traumatic events often result in significant psychological symptoms, and people who are survivors of rape, abuse, crime, or an event they cannot talk about are at particular risk. Experiencing multiple events appeared to increase the risk for psychological symptoms. A relationship was found between traumatic experiences and later anxiety, depression and PTSD symptomatology. (NB)
Prompted by the rapid development of Pearson’s iPad-based Q-interactive platform for administerin... more Prompted by the rapid development of Pearson’s iPad-based Q-interactive platform for administering individual tests of cognitive ability, this manuscript speculates about what it would take for a computer to administer the current versions of the Wechsler individual intelligence tests without the involvement of a psychologist or psychometrist. It is concluded that we are very close to the point, given current hardware and artificial intelligence capabilities, at which administration of all subtests of the WAIS-IV and WISC-V, and all assessment functions of the human examiner, could be performed by a computer. Potential acceptability of computer administration by clients and the psychological community are considered.
Alexithymia is believed to involve deficits in emotion processing and imagery ability. Previous f... more Alexithymia is believed to involve deficits in emotion processing and imagery ability. Previous findings suggest that it is especially related to deficits in processing the arousal dimension of emotion, and that discordance may exist between self-report and physiological responses to emotional stimuli in alexithymia. The current study used a well-established emotional imagery paradigm to examine emotion processing deficits and discordance in participants (N=86) selected based on their extreme scores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. Physiological (skin conductance, heart rate, and corrugator and zygomaticus electromyographic responses) and self-report (valence, arousal ratings) responses were monitored during imagery of anger, fear, joy and neutral scenes and emotionally neutral high arousal (action) scenes. Results from regression analyses indicated that alexithymia was largely unrelated to responses on valence-based measures (facial electromyography, valence ratings), but that it was related to arousal-based measures. Specifically, alexithymia was related to higher heart rate (HR) during neutral and lower HR during fear imagery. Alexithymia did not predict differential responses to action vs neutral imagery, suggesting specificity of deficits to emotional contexts. Evidence for discordance between physiological responses and self-report in alexithymia was obtained from within-person analyses using multilevel modeling. Results are consistent with the idea that alexithymic deficits are specific to processing emotional arousal, and suggest difficulties with parasympathetic control and emotion regulation. Alexithymia is also associated with discordance between self-reported emotional experience and physiological response to emotion, consistent with prior evidence.
With the introduction of the iPad-based Q-interactive platform for cognitive ability and achievem... more With the introduction of the iPad-based Q-interactive platform for cognitive ability and achievement test administration, psychology training programs need to adapt to effectively train doctoral-level psychologists to be competent in administering, scoring, and interpreting assessment instruments. This manuscript describes the implications for graduate training of moving to iPad-mediated administration of the Wechsler intelligence tests using the Q-interactive program by Pearson. We enumerate differences between Q-interactive and traditional assessment administration, including cost structure, technological requirements, and approach to administration. Changes to coursework, practicum, and supervision and evaluation of assessment competencies are discussed. The benefits of Q-interactive include reduced testing and training time and the decrease or elimination of many types of administration and scoring errors. However, new training challenges are introduced, including the need to be proficient at trouble-shooting technology, changes in rapport-building with clients, and assessing and facilitating clients’ comfort with the platform. Challenges for course instructors and practicum supervisors include deciding which testing modality to use, increased difficulty evaluating some aspects of administration and scoring competency, and the potential for more frequent updates requiring additional training and updating of skills. We discuss the training implications of this new platform, and make specific suggestions for how training programs may respond to these changes and integrate iPad administration into their courses and practica.
Addictive Behaviors, 2005
Smoking topography was measured in trauma survivors with and without posttraumatic stress disorde... more Smoking topography was measured in trauma survivors with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after recalling trauma-related and neutral experiences. Analysis of covariance was performed on puff topography and mood measures using nicotine dependence scores and current major depressive disorder as covariates. Puff volumes were higher in the PTSD group than in the non-PTSD group. The PTSD group exhibited stable puff onset intervals while the non-PTSD group exhibited significantly shorter intervals following trauma recall. These findings support a ''ceiling effect'' hypothesis in which individuals with PTSD perpetually smoke in such a way as to maximize nicotine delivery, possibly reducing the potentially reinforcing effects of increased smoke delivery in negative affect-inducing situations. D
Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 1995
This study investigated Stroop color-naming of trauma-related words in male Vietnam combat vetera... more This study investigated Stroop color-naming of trauma-related words in male Vietnam combat veterans with (n = 42) and without (n = 15) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The anxiety connotations of the words were either very specific to the Vietnam experience (point, lead), general but still Vietnam-related (medevac, bodybags), or general and not specifically related to Vietnam (crash, griefi. All three categories of words slowed color-naming compared to neutral control words. This was true for all subjects, but the effect was more pronounced in veterans with PTSD. The generally negative but still Vietnam-related words caused more interference in colornaming than did the other categories of words, which was attributed to their ability to access Vietnam combat memories more efficiently. There was a free recall and recognition memory advantage for the emotion words, suggesting that the Stroop interference effect was mediated by an attentional bias towards the anxiety-related material rather than avoidance of it. Veterans with PTSD were slower in color-naming overall, an effect that could not be attributed to group differences in psychiatric medication, depression, or anxiety.
Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2003
This study investigated the associations among PTSD, ambulatory cardiovascular monitoring, and ph... more This study investigated the associations among PTSD, ambulatory cardiovascular monitoring, and physical health self-reports in 117 male Vietnam combat veterans (61 with PTSD and 56 without PTSD). PTSD was associated with health symptoms and number of current health conditions beyond the influence of several covariates. PTSD was associated with greater systolic blood pressure variability, and an elevated percentage of heart rate and systolic blood pressure readings above baseline.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2005
Using ambulatory methods for 1 day of monitoring, the authors of this study investigated the asso... more Using ambulatory methods for 1 day of monitoring, the authors of this study investigated the association between smoking and situational cues in 63 smokers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 32 smokers without PTSD. Generalized estimating equations contrasted 682 smoking and 444 nonsmoking situations by group status. Smoking was strongly related to craving, positive and negative affect, PTSD symptoms, restlessness, and several situational variables among PTSD smokers. For non-PTSD smokers, the only significant antecedent variables for smoking were craving, drinking coffee, being alone, not being with family, not working, and being around others who were smoking. These results are consistent with previous ambulatory findings regarding mood in smokers but also underscore that, in certain populations, mood and symptom variables may be significantly associated with ad lib smoking.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2002
This study investigated the cardiovascular responses to a relived anger task in 118 male Vietnam ... more This study investigated the cardiovascular responses to a relived anger task in 118 male Vietnam combat veterans (62 with posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and 56 without PTSD). Participants completed standardized diagnostic measures, hostility measures, and a laboratory session in which they relived a self-chosen anger memory while heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured continuously using an Ohmeda Finapres monitor. Compared with veterans without PTSD, PTSD veterans took less time to feel anger, had greater mean HR and DBP response during relived anger, and reported greater anger and anxiety during the task. There was a significant relationship between covert hostility and anger response, during and after the anger task only in participants with PTSD.
Addictive Behaviors, 1996
This study investigated the relationship between a trauma-related stressor and smoking withdrawal... more This study investigated the relationship between a trauma-related stressor and smoking withdrawal symptoms in 25 male Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using a within-subjects design. All subjects were smokers. The stressor involved a modified Stroop task. in which the veterans color-named either anxietyrelated or neutral control words. Anxiety-related words produced more withdrawal symptoms than neutral control words, including increased craving, negative affect symptoms. somatic symptoms, and lack of alertness. 93
Addictive Behaviors, 2007
The study investigated the effects of smoking a nicotinized or denicotinized cigarette on craving... more The study investigated the effects of smoking a nicotinized or denicotinized cigarette on craving, affect and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms while recalling neutral, stressful and traumatic events in smokers with and without PTSD. Smokers completed laboratory sessions during which they were presented with audiotapes of personalized scripts followed by smoking a cigarette. The effect of the script and cigarette conditions on dependent variables was evaluated. There was a main effect of script type across groups for smoking craving, negative affect and PTSD symptoms, with increased symptoms in trauma and stressful conditions. Responses were significantly higher in PTSD smokers. Smoking either cigarette type resulted in decreased craving, negative affect and PTSD symptoms in both groups. A second script presentation following smoking elicited similar responses, suggesting the ameliorative effect of having smoked a cigarette was short-lived. These results support that context and non-pharmacologic effects of smoking are important variables in smoking craving and mood, particularly in smokers with PTSD.
[
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), Jan 7, 2015
Most smokers who attempt to quit lapse within the first week and are ultimately unsuccessful in t... more Most smokers who attempt to quit lapse within the first week and are ultimately unsuccessful in their quit attempt. Nicotine withdrawal exacerbates cognitive and attentional problems and may be one factor in smoking relapse. The startle reflex response and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the response are sensitive to arousal and early attentional dysregulation. The current study examined whether startle response and PPI are related to early smoking lapse, and if this differs in people with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants with (N = 34) and without (N = 57) PTSD completed a startle reflex and PPI assessment during (1) ad lib smoking (2) on the first day of abstinence during a quit attempt. Most (88%) participants lapsed within the first week of the quit attempt. PTSD status predicted shorter time to lapse. Larger startle magnitude and greater PPI predicted a longer duration before smoking lapse. When diagnostic groups were examined separately, greater PPI p...
This paper describes three studies of the reliability and validity of a newly revised version of ... more This paper describes three studies of the reliability and validity of a newly revised version of the Purdue Posttraumatic Stress Disorder scale (PPTSD-R). The PPTSD-R is a 17-item questionnaire that yields four scores: Reexperiencing, Avoidance, Arousal, and Total. It is highly internally consistent (α = .91), and the scores are relatively stable across time. The PPTSD-R is highly correlated with
Writing about a personal stressful event has been found to have psychological and physical health... more Writing about a personal stressful event has been found to have psychological and physical health benefits, especially when physiological response increases during writing. Response training was developed to amplify appropriate physiological reactivity in imagery exposure. The present study examined whether response training enhances the benefits of written emotional disclosure. Participants were assigned to either a written emotional disclosure condition (n = 113) or a neutral writing condition (n = 133). Participants in each condition wrote for 20 minutes on 3 occasions and received response training (n = 79), stimulus training (n = 84) or no training (n = 83). Heart rate and skin conductance were recorded throughout a 10-minute baseline, 20-minute writing, and a 10-minute recovery period. Self-reported emotion was assessed in each session. One month after completing the sessions, participants completed follow-up assessments of psychological and physical health outcomes. Emotional disclosure elicited greater physiological reactivity and self-reported emotion than neutral writing. Response training amplified physiological reactivity to emotional disclosure. Greater heart rate during emotional disclosure was associated with the greatest reductions in event-related distress, depression, and physical illness symptoms at follow-up, especially among response trained participants. Results support an exposure explanation of emotional disclosure effects and are the first to demonstrate that response training facilitates emotional processing and may be a beneficial adjunct to written emotional disclosure.
Traumatology, 2013
This study used qualitative methods to examine present practices in psychologically assessing and... more This study used qualitative methods to examine present practices in psychologically assessing and treating torture survivors in National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs (NCTTP) across the United States. Twenty-five NCTTP Center Directors were contacted and 21 agreed to participate. Seventeen therapists from 10 different centers ultimately completed a survey and eight participated in a follow-up phone interview. Unstructured interviews, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire were employed by the majority of therapists to assess functioning. Psychoeducation, supportive counseling, cognitive-behavior therapy, and family counseling/therapy were the most common treatment approaches employed. Therapists identified treatment outcome research and population-specific outcome research as significant needs. Therapists identified barriers to treatment including clinic funding, lack of interpreters, and client transportation, legal, financial, and cultural/linguistic barriers.
Psychophysiology, 1995
In this study, I examined emotional modulation of the eyeblink, skin conductance, and cardiac res... more In this study, I examined emotional modulation of the eyeblink, skin conductance, and cardiac responses to an acoustic startle (103 dB[A] white noise) probe. Twenty-five female and 17 male undergraduates imagined pleasant, neutral, and fearful situations in a tone-cured imagery procedure. Both the eyeblink and skin conductance responses to startle probes were potentiated (larger magnitude, shorter latency) during fear as compared with neutral and pleasant imagery. The amount of emotional modulation in these two response systems was significantly correlated both between and within subjects. The startle probe interrupted ongoing cardiac deceleration during the imagery task, but but this interruption was not related to the emotional content of imagery.
Psychophysiology, 1998
This study examined physiological response to an encounter with and touch by an unfamiliar person... more This study examined physiological response to an encounter with and touch by an unfamiliar person. Fifty-five African American (23 male, 30 female) and 51 European American (23 male, 28 female) undergraduates participated. A Black or White interactor entered the room, introduced himself or herself, checked equipment for 30 s, and then took a pulse for 30 s. Entry of the interactor resulted in increased corrugator and zygomaticus facial muscle activity (EMG), increased skin conductance (SC), and heart rate (HR) acceleration. Corrugator EMG was greater among Black subjects; White subjects responded with more zygomatic EMG and SC and greater HR acceleration. Women showed a more positive facial expression than did men. Being touched reduced EMG and HR but resulted in increased SC. White and Black males showed more HR acceleration when encountering a Black male interactor.