Freezing is a common defensive response in animals threatened by predators. It characterized reduced body motion and decreased heart rate (bradycardia). However, despite the relevance of animal defense models human stress research, studies have not shown whether social threat cues elicit similar freeze-like responses humans. We investigated sway 50 female participants while they were standing on stabilometric force platform viewing that socially threatening, neutral, affiliative (angry,...

Facial expressions are potent social cues that can induce behavioral dispositions, such as approach-avoidance tendencies. We studied these tendencies by asking participants to make whole-body forward (approach) or backward (avoidance) steps on a force plate in response the valence of (happy angry faces) under affect-congruent and incongruent mappings. Posturographic parameters related automatic stimulus evaluation, step initiation (reaction time), execution were determined analyzed function...

In the present study, we investigated effect of prior aversive life events on freezing-like responses.Fifty healthy females were presented neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant images from International Affective Picture System while standing a stabilometric platform wearing polar band to assess body sway heart rate.In total sample, only pictures elicited reduced rate (freezing).Moreover, participants who had experienced 1 or more showed greater reductions in for versus pleasant than those no...

Improved (n = 21) and nonimproved 13) PTSD patients (a mixed trauma population) were compared for fear activation habituation patterns during between the 1st 2nd prolonged exposure sessions. Drop-outs 11) also evaluated. Nonimproved had significantly higher ratings of anxiety at start first session. showed more within-session self-exposures home between-session habituation. Even after controlling initial depression symptom severity, second sessions was related to treatment outcome. Patients...

Different trauma characteristics have been suggested to lead distinct symptom profiles. This study investigates the effect of two characteristics, age onset and frequency, on PTSD profiles.Trauma (childhood versus adulthood single multiple trauma), psychiatric diagnosis, severity, depressive symptoms, dissociation, guilt, shame, anger, interpersonal sensitivity were assessed in 110 outpatients.Single childhood groups did not differ co-morbidity. Multiple patients reported more than those...

AbstractHuman freezing has been objectively assessed using a passive picture viewing paradigm as an analog for threat. These results should be replicated other stimuli in order to determine their stability and generalizability. Affective films are used frequently elicit affective responses, but it is unknown whether they also freezing-like defense responses. To test this the case, 50 participants watched neutral, pleasant unpleasant film fragments while standing on stabilometric platform...

According to the dual representation theory of PTSD, intrusive trauma images and verbal thoughts are produced by separate memory systems. In a previous article it was shown that after watching an aversive film, participants in non-movement conditions reported more than free-to-move control condition (Hagenaars, Van Minnen, Holmes, Brewin, & Hoogduin, 2008). The present study investigates whether experimental Hagenaars et al. had different effect on images. Experiment 2 further investigated...

Background Prevention of (suicidal) crisis starts with appreciating its dynamics. However, is a complex multidimensional phenomenon and how it evolves over time still poorly understood. This study aims to clarify dynamics by clustering fluctuations in the interplay cognitive, affective, behavioral (CAB) factors within persons into latent states. Methods To allow for fine grained information on CAB prolonged period time, ecological momentary assessment data comprised self-report...

Abstract Peritraumatic dissociation is thought to effect trauma information encoding, leading PTSD symptoms like intrusive memories. Most studies have focused on peritraumatic psychological dissociation. The present experiment studied the impact of hypnotically induced somatoform (dissociative non-movement) versus deliberate non-movement during an aversive film intrusion development. Seventy-nine participants were randomised into three conditions: dissociative (catalepsy), non-movement, and...

This study aims to increase our understanding of trauma positive outcomes by (a) exploring associations between posttraumatic growth and stress disorder (PTSD), (b) investigating course its impact on exposure treatment. In 80 mixed PTSD patients, was negatively related symptoms, especially emotional numbing. Sixty-five patients also completed Prolonged Exposure therapy with pretreatment posttreatment assessments. Posttraumatic growth-New Possibilities Personal Strength-increased during...

Background: Intrusive trauma memories are a key symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), so disrupting their recurrence is highly important. Intrusion development was hindered by visuospatial interventions administered up to 24 hours after analogue trauma. It unknown whether can be applied later, and modality or working-memory load crucial factors.Objectives: This study tested: (1) task would lead fewer intrusions compared reactivation-only group when memory reactivation four days...

People can be paralyzed when facing threat. Such paralysis, or peritraumatic “tonic immobility” (TI), is important as it seems associated with later PTSD development. However, the prevalence of TI not known. This study investigated its in a large representative sample well association PTSD. 4781 participants from general population completed measures TI, fear, dissociation, trait anxiety, dissociative tendencies, behavioral inhibition, and symptoms. Extreme was rare without (0.6% those...