Prospective Measurement of Skin Conductance Response during Trauma Interview Predicts Future PTSD Severity in Trauma Exposed Children.

Journal: Journal of mood and anxiety disorders

Volume: 7

Issue: 

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Division of AIDS Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Abstract summary 

Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that sympathetic nervous system (SNS) arousal is positively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children with trauma exposure. One of the ways that SNS activity is measured is through skin conductance response (SCR), which has been shown to predict future PTSD severity in adults. In this study, we explored the utility of a novel, low-cost mobile SCR device, eSense, to predict future PTSD symptom severity in trauma exposed children. We recruited children (N=43, age 9 years at initial visit) for a longitudinal study in which SCR was recorded at baseline visit, and PTSD symptoms were assessed two years later. Results indicated an interaction between SCR and trauma exposure, such that children with lower trauma exposure who demonstrated greater SCR reported higher PTSD severity two years later. This association remained significant even after controlling for baseline PTSD symptoms. Children with higher levels of trauma exposure did not show this association, potentially due to ceiling effects of PTSD symptoms. Together these findings suggest the utility of SCR as a biomarker for predicting trauma related disorders in children, and that it may be a valuable tool in clinical interventions targeting sympathetic arousal.

Authors & Co-authors:  Basarkod Valbrun Wiltshire France Davie Winters George Stenson Jovanovic

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Association AP, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, DSM-5. 2013, Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.
Authors :  9
Identifiers
Doi : 100061
SSN : 2950-0044
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
Childhood trauma;Development;PTSD;Psychophysiology;Skin Conductance Response
Study Design
Longitudinal Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
United States