Soldiers with PTSD Literally See a More Dangerous World

Soldiers living with post-traumatic stress disorder might literally see the world from a more threatening perspective.

According to a new study led by UBC and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, researchers determined that PTSD influences the way a human brain views its environment, and for those with PTSD, the brain can process a world littered with threat.

“Soldiers who suffer from PTSD may literally see a world more populated with reminders of trauma, thereby perpetuating its effects,” said Rebecca Todd, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor in UBC’s department of psychology.

The study involved a group of Canadian Armed Forces soldiers: half diagnosed with PTSD and half without. Each soldier was placed inside a neuroimaging device that tracks how rapidly brain functions occur.

The soldiers were then asked to view a rapid stream of 15 words, most of which were neutral and in black font. However, two target words appeared in green font: the first was a number, and the second was either a neutral or a combat-related word, such as convoy, medic or deploy.

Soldiers were asked to report the two targets, and the first target was typically missed. However, the second target, which was emotionally relevant to some of the study participants, was more likely to be seen.

In other words, while all soldiers showed a bias for combat-related words, this bias was more pronounced for those individuals with PTDS.

“Soldiers with combat experience are more likely to see aspects of the environment that are associated with combat than civilians,” said Todd. “This effect is stronger in soldiers with PTSD than in those without.”

The UBC study was published in Biological Psychiatry.