Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and cognitive function in a large cohort of middle-aged women.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to cognitive decline, but research in women is generally lacking. We examined whether trauma and elevated PTSD symptoms were associated with worse cognitive function in middle-aged civilian women. A secondary objective was to investigate the possible role of depression in the relation of PTSD symptoms to cognitive function.

Methods

The sample comprised 14,029 middle-aged women in the Nurses' Health Study II. Lifetime trauma exposure, lifetime PTSD symptoms, and past-week depressive symptoms were measured in 2008. Cognitive function was measured in 2014-2016 using the Cogstate Brief Battery, a self-administered online cognitive battery that assesses psychomotor speed, attention, learning, and working memory. We u

SUBMITTER: Sumner JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5378624 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature