Posttraumatic stress disorder in vascular and neurological diseases

Abstract

Abstract Chapter 7 examines posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its risk factors in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage and stroke. These factors include alexithymia, cognitive appraisals, and negative cognitions. However, the association between a history of trauma-related PTSD and epilepsy is unexpected when comparing patients who have epileptic seizures with those who have a non-epileptic seizure or a psychogenic non-epileptic seizure. There are studies that also look at PTSD as a result of the traumatic event of epilepsy. Research has also shown that caregivers of children with epilepsy may have PTSD and comorbid psychiatric symptoms, with mothers reporting more PTSD and comorbid psychiatric symptoms than fathers. This chapter then explores the association between early trauma or PTSD and risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It is noteworthy that the wealth of evidence for the association between PTSD and vascular and neurological diseases is comparatively less than for the diseases mentioned in the previous chapters.