Inhibitory Control under Threat: The Role of Spontaneous Eye Blinks in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
This study is the first to explore spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We investigated the connection between the magnitude of flanker interference in PTSD participants and sEBR during performance on a modified version of the Eriksen flanker t...
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doaj-9e3322b607ba49aba6f0f0a347f86f332020-11-24T22:34:33ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252017-02-01721610.3390/brainsci7020016brainsci7020016Inhibitory Control under Threat: The Role of Spontaneous Eye Blinks in Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderMikael Rubin0Denise A. Hien1Dipanjana Das2Robert D. Melara3Department of Psychology, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10017, USADepartment of Psychology, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10017, USADepartment of Psychology, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10017, USADepartment of Psychology, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10017, USAThis study is the first to explore spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We investigated the connection between the magnitude of flanker interference in PTSD participants and sEBR during performance on a modified version of the Eriksen flanker task. As a peripheral measure of cognitive control and dopaminergic function, sEBR may illuminate the relationship between PTSD and executive function. Findings revealed a positive relationship between sEBR and flanker interference in participants diagnosed with PTSD, to both threat-related and neutral stimuli, whereas this relationship was negative in participants exposed to trauma but without PTSD and in healthy controls. Although our results are suggestive of sEBR as a potential physiological index of emotional management in PTSD, most of the correlations were not significant, indicating that further research with a larger sample is needed.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/7/2/16post-traumatic stress disorderspontaneous eye blink ratetrauma exposureflanker interferencecognitive controlinhibitory control |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Mikael Rubin Denise A. Hien Dipanjana Das Robert D. Melara |
spellingShingle |
Mikael Rubin Denise A. Hien Dipanjana Das Robert D. Melara Inhibitory Control under Threat: The Role of Spontaneous Eye Blinks in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Brain Sciences post-traumatic stress disorder spontaneous eye blink rate trauma exposure flanker interference cognitive control inhibitory control |
author_facet |
Mikael Rubin Denise A. Hien Dipanjana Das Robert D. Melara |
author_sort |
Mikael Rubin |
title |
Inhibitory Control under Threat: The Role of Spontaneous Eye Blinks in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder |
title_short |
Inhibitory Control under Threat: The Role of Spontaneous Eye Blinks in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder |
title_full |
Inhibitory Control under Threat: The Role of Spontaneous Eye Blinks in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder |
title_fullStr |
Inhibitory Control under Threat: The Role of Spontaneous Eye Blinks in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder |
title_full_unstemmed |
Inhibitory Control under Threat: The Role of Spontaneous Eye Blinks in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder |
title_sort |
inhibitory control under threat: the role of spontaneous eye blinks in post-traumatic stress disorder |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Brain Sciences |
issn |
2076-3425 |
publishDate |
2017-02-01 |
description |
This study is the first to explore spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We investigated the connection between the magnitude of flanker interference in PTSD participants and sEBR during performance on a modified version of the Eriksen flanker task. As a peripheral measure of cognitive control and dopaminergic function, sEBR may illuminate the relationship between PTSD and executive function. Findings revealed a positive relationship between sEBR and flanker interference in participants diagnosed with PTSD, to both threat-related and neutral stimuli, whereas this relationship was negative in participants exposed to trauma but without PTSD and in healthy controls. Although our results are suggestive of sEBR as a potential physiological index of emotional management in PTSD, most of the correlations were not significant, indicating that further research with a larger sample is needed. |
topic |
post-traumatic stress disorder spontaneous eye blink rate trauma exposure flanker interference cognitive control inhibitory control |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/7/2/16 |
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