| Autor: |
Hoffman SN; Sleep Disorders Center, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, PA, USA., Urosevich TG; Ophthalmology Service, Geisinger Clinic, Mount Pocono, PA, USA., Kirchner HL; Biomedical and Translational Informatics, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, PA, USA., Boscarino JJ; Department of Clinical Psychology, William James College, Newton, MA, USA., Dugan RJ; Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, PA, USA., Withey CA; Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, PA, USA., Adams RE; Department of Sociology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA., Figley CR; School of Social Work, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA., Boscarino JA; Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Geisinger Clinic, 100 N. Academy Avenue, Danville, PA, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is related to alteration in neuropsychological functioning, including visual and other cognitive processes. Grapheme-color synesthesia is a phenomenon in which a letter or number elicits response of a concurrent image or color perception. Since we earlier reported an association between grapheme-color synesthesia and PTSD, our objective in the current study was to validate this association among a new study group and assess risk factors. For this, we surveyed 1,730 military veterans who have been outpatients in the Geisinger Clinic, a multi-hospital system in Pennsylvania, USA. All the study veterans served in a warzone deployment. The association between PTSD and Grapheme-color synesthesia was evaluated. The average age of veterans was 59.6 years among whom 95.1% were male. Current PTSD prevalence rate was observed to be 7.6% (95% C.I. = 6.5-9.0) and in 3.4% of veterans (95% C.I. = 2.7-4.4) grapheme-color synesthesia was found to be positive. Initial bivariate analyses suggested that synesthesia was associated with current PTSD [odds ratio (OR) = 3.3, p<0.001]. Multivariable stepwise logistic regression evaluating the age, sex, education, trauma exposure, current psychological stress, psychotropic medication use, combat exposure, history of concussion, and current depression, confirmed this association (OR = 2.33, p = 0.019). The present study corroborated that Grapheme-color synesthesia was linked to PTSD among a second cohort of deployed military veterans. Further research is recommended in order to validate this observation and to determine whether synesthesia is a risk factor for PTSD. |
