Vets from Vietnam still haunted by (undiagnosed) PTSD

PTSD wasn't a term 40, 50 or 60 years ago. That doesn't mean it didn't exist.

"There was no awareness of PTSD and there was not a specific diagnosis
for it," Ruohomaki says. "Now, the older veterans are reaching out for
help."

Read more:

Undiagnosed a generation ago, PTSD still haunts older vets -- DailyHerald.com

Yoga can help reduce PTSD symptoms

We've discussed this several times before: yoga can be a great way to help reduce PTSD symptoms. Now a new study (specifically of women) once again proves this. Reuters reports:

"Simply stated, yoga may regulate aspects of the
endocrine system and the nervous system that are out of balance in
PTSD," Staples said. "Yoga also reduces the stress response which plays a
role in PTSD symptoms."

Read more:

Yoga may help women ease PTSD symptoms | Reuters

Martial arts for PTSD [Video]

Here's a great report from students at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Arizona about how one martial arts studio is helping veterans learn to deal with their post-traumatic stress disorder.

Program to help veterans with PTSD from Cronkite News on Vimeo.

Do you find this blog helpful? Please consider a donation to Fearless Nation PTSD Support so we can continue to bring you news and information about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

First Lady supports hiring veterans [Video]

First Lady Michelle Obama appeared on David Letterman's program last night, where she reported that unemployment among veterans has decreased 20% in the past year.

Letterman himself mentioned that some employers might be frightened of hiring veterans, especially those with PTSD. She replied that it's important not to stigmatize PTSD.



Here's more on the Obama administration's Joining Forces program.

Do you find this blog helpful? Please consider a donation to Fearless Nation PTSD Support so we can continue to bring you news and information about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

This week's Fearless Nation webinars: Applying the breaks, PTSD stigmas, bullying and more

Fearless Nation PTSD Support will host six free online discussions this week covering topics like applying the breaks when triggered, challenging the media stigma against PTSD, and replacing the "feel-good" chemicals in your body. One session will be held in the virtual 3-D world of Second Life while the other five will be held as webinars.

Full information is below, at the Fearless Nation website here, and at this Facebook event. 


MONDAY, JULY 30

9 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Empower PTSD Support Meeting - TOPIC: "Applying the Brakes When Triggered"
Presentation and Discussion
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 623 512 286  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

11 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Health-N-Mind Meeting: "Stop Bullies at Work and Play!" Be a "bully buster"!
Where: The Second Life® virtual world http://www.secondlife.com/
LOCATION: Health Info Island, Health and Wellness Pavilion
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/197/43/22

6 PM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Insights Recovery Meeting - TOPIC: "How to Replace 'Feel Good' Chemicals in Your Body"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 627 879 959  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

TUESDAY, JULY 31:

9 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Insights Recovery Meeting - TOPIC: "How to Replace 'Feel Good' Chemicals in Your Body"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 622 141 546  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

11 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Timely Topics PTSD Support Discussion: "STIGMA: Challenging Media PTSD Stereotypes"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 627 262 070  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

6 PM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Empower PTSD Support Meeting - TOPIC: "Applying the Brakes When Triggered"
Presentation and Discussion
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 624 116 029  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting..
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

UK PTSD rate lower than US

British soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have displayed a lower rate of PTSD than American soldiers. Why? For one thing, their UK soldiers were, on average, older than the American soldiers. There were also fewer UK reservists and UK soldiers served shorter tours of duty.

Time has more on this subject:

Why Is the UK’s PTSD Rate So Much Lower Than the U.S.’s?

Delayed trauma: PTSD decades later

Stars and Stripes reports that a major life event like retirement can cause decades-old traumas to come to the surface, creating anxiety, anger and other PTSD-related symptoms. In particular, this is starting to affect some Vietnam vets who did not get proper treatment when they returned from war.

Mental health experts say...delayed trauma isn’t unusual. Major life events such as retirement often trigger personal reassessment and forgotten memories.

But for Vietnam veterans who returned decades ago to a harsh reception and limited mental health options, that could mean a new wave of stress and serious psychological issues as their generation enters retirement age.

Many of these Vietnam veterans (who are now approaching retirement age en masse) threw themselves into their work when they returned from the war as their way of coping with their trauma. As their work lives end, the untreated trauma is now becoming an issue.

Stars and Stripes reports that the VA is not yet prepared to deal with the thousands of new requests for treatment they could receive in the next few years.

Read more:

Retirement might unleash PTSD symptoms in Vietnam veterans

60% of Egyptians suffering from PTSD

A survey has shown that 60% of Egyptians are suffering from PTSD following 18 months of political turmoil. Of that 60%, nearly half witnessed violence in the streets. 

Digital Journal has the story:

Video: 60% of Egyptians suffering from PTSD

1 in 8 heart patients suffer PTSD

Any life-threatening event can leave a person with symptoms of PTSD. Now a new study finds not only that a heart attack can lead to PTSD but PTSD can double a person's risk of future cardiac events and death. Read on...

One in eight people who suffer a heart attack or other acute coronary event experience clinically significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a meta-analysis of 24 studies led by Columbia University Medical Center researchers. The study also shows that heart patients who suffer PTSD face twice the risk of having another cardiac event or of dying within one to three years, compared with those without PTSD. The findings were published today in the online edition of PLoS ONE: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0038915.

"While most people think of PTSD as a disorder of combat veterans and sexual assault survivors, it is also quite common among patients who have had a severe coronary event," said lead author Donald Edmondson, PhD, assistant professor of behavioral medicine at CUMC. "Not only are such events life-threatening, but their psychological impact can be devastating and long lasting."

PTSD is an anxiety disorder initiated by exposure to a traumatic event such as combat, disaster, or sexual assault. Common symptoms include nightmares, avoidance of reminders of the event, and elevated heart rate and blood pressure.

Each year, about 1.4 million people in the United States experience an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a term used to describe any condition brought about by sudden reduced blood flow to the heart. Numerous small studies have suggested that ACS-induced PTSD is common and can have serious health consequences, but its prevalence is not known.

To get a better idea of the scope of the problem, Dr. Edmondson and his colleagues performed the first combined review, or meta-analysis, of clinical studies of ACS-induced PTSD. The 24 studies in the meta-analysis included a total of 2,383 ACS patients from around the globe.

The study found that overall 12 percent, or one in eight, of the patients developed clinically significant PTSD symptoms, with four percent meeting full diagnostic criteria for the disorder.

"Given that some 1.4 million ACS patients are discharged from U.S. hospitals each year, our results suggest that 168,000 patients will develop clinically significant PTSD symptoms. That is quite substantial. However, there is abundant evidence that psychological disorders in heart patients are underrecognized and undertreated. In fact, underdiagnosis may be even more pronounced in cardiac practices than in other types of medical practices," said Dr. Edmondson.

"This is a serious problem for individual patients, as well as for the healthcare system as a whole," he said. "PTSD appears to double a heart patient's risk for a second cardiac event and for death, which adds hundreds of millions of dollars to annual health expenditures."

"Fortunately, there are good treatments for people with PTSD," Dr. Edmondson said. "But first, physicians and patients have to be aware that this is a problem. Family members can also help. We know that social support is a good protective factor against PTSD due to any type of traumatic event."

"The next step is further research to assess whether treatment can reduce ACS-induced PTSD symptoms and reduce the associated risk for ACS recurrence and mortality," said Dr. Edmondson.

Should PTSD qualify a vet for the Purple Heart?

Source: U.S. Army

The Purple Heart is one of the nation's highest honors, going to U.S. soldiers who have been wounded or killed during combat. But although combat PTSD can leave a veteran disabled, it does not make that person eligible to receive the Purple Heart. 

Should that be changed? Middletown Journal writer Barrie Barber looked at the debate and found a wide range of responses, like these two:

"If it's a true case of PTSD from combat, I think it should be awarded. Sometimes you can't just put a Band-Aid on a wound that's in your head." -- Air Force veteran Thomas Bush Jr.

"The Purple Heart is awarded for a physical wound received while engaged with an enemy force. PTSD is considered an illness and not an injury." -- VFW national spokesperson Joseph E. Davis

Read more:

Purple Hearts for PTSD debated

"Like" Fearless Nation PTSD Support on Facebook!

Houston housing development for vets with PTSD to be the first of its kind

MyFoxHouston reports on a new housing development that could eventually house up to 160 vets with PTSD. Residents will get job training and family counseling while they live there. 



Read more:

First of its kind housing development for vets with PTSD - MyFoxHouston

National Veterans Foundation predicts "tsunami of PTSD-related criminal cases"

The National Veterans Foundation is about to release a new book that it says will help guide defense attorneys, judges, expert witnesses and others during PTSD-related criminal court proceedings.

Why is there a need for this book? From their press release: "History tells us that as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, the numbers of troubled veterans flooding into our criminal courts will swell. Emerging research reveals a pattern of traumatized combat veterans surfacing in the criminal justice system following every major American conflict. Unfortunately, veterans of past conflicts were often treated quite harshly when their psychological injuries led them into criminal behavior."

From their web page about the book: "This project was not initiated to create a 'get out of jail card' for veterans on trial. The purpose was to create the best defense and back it up with efforts to provide ongoing post-trial treatment."

The book, Attorney's Guide to Defending Veterans in Criminal Court, will be released soon and is available for the pre-publication price of $100.

What do you think? Is PTSD going to result in a lot of vets ending up in court? Is this danger over-stated? Have you been mistreated in the courts? Please feel free to share your thoughts and experience.

Join Fearless Nation PTSD Support on Facebook!

Army asks "why don't more soldiers seek treatment for PTSD?"

From a recent U.S. Army report:

• Less than half of soldiers who report symptoms of PTSD receive the care they need, according to the U.S. Army.
• Of those that do start treatment, 20-50% drop out.
• Soldiers display a lack of trust of mental health professionals.
• They think psychological problems will "work themselves out"
• They think treatment should only be a last resort.

Read more:
US Army examines why some soldiers avoid PTSD care, strategies to keep them in treatment

What do you think? Are there reasons why you or someone you know has avoided or left treatment? Or reasons why you stayed?

Join Fearless Nation PTSD Support on Facebook!

Canadian Police Association: System for treating PTSD isn't good enough

The Ottawa Citizen reports: "The head of the Canadian Police Association says post-traumatic stress disorder is a major issue for police, and the RCMP shouldn't believe its current system for treating members afflicted by PTSD is good enough."

Read more:
Police association says PTSD a major issue for officers

Join Fearless Nation PTSD Support on Facebook!

Study suggests blood pressure meds may have benefit for PTSD symptoms

Common blood pressure medications called ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) could -- potentially -- have some benefit in treating PTSD, according to a new study.

This is just the first stage of testing these medications for PTSD, though. It was not a clinical trial, so take this news with a grain of salt. (Unless you're on salt restrictions because of high blood pressure.)


As for this study, the authors took a population sample of 5,000 low-income people in Atlanta, 505 of whom had been exposed to some traumatic event. Of those 505 people, 180 met the criteria for PTSD. Out of the total sample of 5,000 people, 98 were taking ACEs or ARBs, 26 of whom had PTSD. Those 26 people reported having fewer PTSD-related symptoms, including hyperarousal, avoidance/numbing, and intrusive thoughts.

Further study will be required.

While it's waaaaay too early to say that taking these medications can reduce PTSD symptoms, it's probably worth noting that it's important to check your blood pressure. Stress and anxiety can raise blood pressure levels, which can have further health effects.

Read more:

Can Blood Pressure Meds Lessen PTSD Symptoms? | Psych Central News

Join Fearless Nation PTSD Support on Facebook!

Graphic novel examines PTSD and a fallen soldier's family

Shooters -- a new graphic novel by authors Brandon Jerwa and Eric Trautmann and artist Steven Lieber -- is scheduled to hit the shelves today.

The book is a semi-autobiographical look at the family of a soldier killed in Iraq. It is based on Trautmann's brother-in-law. 

Seattle's KOMO News has an interview with the creators: New graphic novel examines the horrors of war 

Meanwhile, USA Today has a preview. 

PTSD genes identified by UCLA study

Why do some persons succumb to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while others who suffered the same ordeal do not? A new UCLA study may shed light on the answer.

UCLA scientists have linked two genes involved in serotonin production to a higher risk of developing PTSD. Published in the April 3 online edition of the Journal of Affective Disorders, the findings suggest that susceptibility to PTSD is inherited, pointing to new ways of screening for and treating the disorder.

"People can develop post-traumatic stress disorder after surviving a life-threatening ordeal like war, rape or a natural disaster," explained lead author Dr. Armen Goenjian, a research professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. "If confirmed, our findings could eventually lead to new ways to screen people at risk for PTSD and target specific medicines for preventing and treating the disorder."

PTSD can arise following child abuse, terrorist attacks, sexual or physical assault, major accidents, natural disasters or exposure to war or combat. Symptoms include flashbacks, feeling emotionally numb or hyper-alert to danger, and avoiding situations that remind one of the original trauma.

Goenjian and his colleagues extracted the DNA of 200 adults from several generations of 12 extended families who suffered PTSD symptoms after surviving the devastating 1988 earthquake in Armenia.

In studying the families' genes, the researchers found that persons who possessed specific variants of two genes were more likely to develop PTSD symptoms. Called TPH1 and TPH2, these genes control the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and alertness -- all of which are disrupted in PTSD.

"We suspect that the gene variants produce less serotonin, predisposing these family members to PTSD after exposure to violence or disaster," said Goenjian. "Our next step will be to try and replicate the findings in a larger, more heterogeneous population."

Affecting about 7 percent of Americans, PTSD has become a pressing health issue for a large percentage of war veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The UCLA team's discovery could be used to help screen persons who may be at risk for developing PTSD.

"A diagnostic tool based upon TPH1 and TPH2 could enable military leaders to identify soldiers who are at higher risk of developing PTSD, and reassign their combat duties accordingly," observed Goenjian. "Our findings may also help scientists uncover alternative treatments for the disorder, such as gene therapy or new drugs that regulate the chemicals responsible for PTSD symptoms."

According to Goenjian, pinpointing genes connected with PTSD symptoms will help neuroscientists classify the disorder based on brain biology instead of clinical observation. Psychiatrists currently rely on a trial and error approach to identify the best medication for controlling an individual patient's symptoms.

Serotonin is the target of the popular antidepressants known as SSRIs, or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, which prolong the effect of serotonin in the brain by slowing its absorption by brain cells. More physicians are prescribing SSRIs to treat psychiatric disease beyond depression, including PTSD and obsessive compulsive disorder.


Also see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17560680

Traumatic Stress Linked to Heightened Inflammation; Possible Link to Heart Disease

Greater lifetime exposure to the stress of traumatic events was linked to higher levels of inflammation in a study of almost 1,000 patients with cardiovascular disease led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

In the first study to examine the relationship between cumulative traumatic stress exposure and inflammation, the scientists found that the more traumatic stress a patient was exposed to over the course of a lifetime, the greater the chances the patient would have elevated levels of inflammatory markers in his or her bloodstream.

“This may be significant for people with cardiovascular disease, because we know that heart disease patients with higher levels of inflammation tend to have worse outcomes,” said lead author Aoife O’Donovan, a Society in Science: Branco Weiss Fellow in psychiatry at SFVAMC and UCSF.

The study was published electronically in February in Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

The authors looked at exposures to 18 different types of traumatic events, all of which involved either experiencing or witnessing a direct a threat to life or physical integrity, in 979 patients age 45 to 90 with stable heart disease. They then measured a number of clinical markers of inflammation that circulate in the bloodstream, and found a direct correlation between degree of lifetime stress exposure and levels of inflammation.

Five years later, they measured the surviving patients’ inflammation markers again, and found that the patients who had originally reported the highest levels of trauma at the beginning of the study still had the highest levels of inflammation.

“Even though we lost some study participants because they died, we still observed the same relationship in those who remained,” O’Donovan said. “This suggests that it wasn’t just the people who were the most sick at the outset who were driving this effect.”

Senior investigator Dr. Beth Cohen, a physician at SFVAMC, emphasized that the effect remained even after the researchers adjusted for psychiatric diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.

“Not everyone who is exposed to trauma develops PTSD,” said Cohen, who also is an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF. “This study emphasizes that traumatic stress can have a long-term negative impact on your health even if you don’t go on to develop PTSD. It also tells us that, as clinicians, we need to think about not just which diagnostic box someone might fit into, but what their lifetime trauma exposure has been.”

Although the study did not probe the potential causes for the link between lifetime stress and inflammation, O’Donovan offered one possible explanation.

“We know that in the aftermath of traumatic stress, people become more sensitive to threats,” she said. “This is actually pro-survival, because if you’re in a dangerous environment, that alertness can help you avoid future harm.”

However, she explained, people with heightened threat sensitivity may also show increased inflammatory responses. “What we think is happening is that people with a history of multiple traumatic stress exposures have increased inflammatory response more often and for longer periods, and so inflammation becomes chronically high,” she said.

Cohen noted that “this is a study of older people, and the cumulative effects that decades of traumatic experiences have on their bodies. If we could intervene with young people,” she said, “using techniques that we know help fight stress, such as exercise, yoga and other integrative health techniques, it would be interesting to know if we might be able to prevent some of this.”

The study subjects were all participants in the Heart and Soul Study, an ongoing investigation into the link between psychological factors and the risk of heart events and mortality in patients with stable heart disease. The Heart and Soul study is directed by Dr. Mary Whooley, a physician at SFVAMC and a professor of medicine at UCSF.

Co-authors of the study are Dr. Thomas Neylan of SFVAMC and UCSF and Thomas Metzler, M.A., of SFVAMC.

The study was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Irene Perstein Foundation, the Department of Veterans Affairs and a Society in Science: Branco Weiss Fellowship. Some of the funds were administered by the Northern California Institute for Research and Education.

Presentations on the neurobiology of PTSD this week

PTSD Nonprofit presents educational lectures on the negative effects of PTSD on the brain

New research shows how PTSD alters brain structure affecting the entire body

Fearless Nation PTSD Support announces a special presentation this week that explore the physical alterations of the brain by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The lecture is part of the March 2012 Brain Injury Awareness month, a nationwide event. The presentation will be repeated six times between Tuesday, March 27 and Friday March 30th. The lectures will take place in the 3D web worlds of SpotOn3D (soon to be named World Works) and Second Life, free online services anyone can access from the web or Facebook.

"New medical imaging makes it very clear now that PTSD severely alters the shape and function of the human brain, making it a brain injury" states Colleen Crary, founder of Fearless Nation and herself a PTSD survivor. "This presentation is created for the layperson to understand, with examples of brain changes that occur after trauma. We encourage anyone struggling with PTSD to join us for these meetings."

Since 2009, Fearless Nation PTSD Support has made it a top priority to create a free, easy-to-access place for PTSD survivors to become educated about PTSD, no matter their geographical location. Weekly meetings address PTSD symptom management, consumer information to make smart decisions about care, addiction recovery, and include takeaway materials and techniques to practice to manage post trauma.

This presentation will take place Tuesday at 11 AM, 12 PM and 5 PM Pacific Standard Time (U.S.), Wednesday at 12 PM and 5 PM PST, and Friday at 1 PM PST. "We welcome PTSD survivors, their spouses, families, friends, and clinicians," Crary says. "Understanding that PTSD is a real injury helps banish the misinformation and stigma surrounding this ‘hidden wound’."

Details on these meetings and easy instructions for joining the meetings can be found on the Fearless Nation PTSD Support web site http://www.fearless-nation.org/Invitation.html

For more information on Fearless Nation PTSD Support, or to volunteer or make a donation, visit http://www.fearless-nation.org.

New study: Just 60 seconds of combat impairs memory

Just 60 seconds of all-out physical exertion in a threatening situation can seriously damage the memories of those involved for many details of the incident, according to a new study of police officers.

Police officers, witnesses and victims of crime suffer loss of memory, recognition and awareness of their environment if they have had to use bursts of physical energy in a combative encounter, according to scientists.

Researchers, led by Dr Lorraine Hope of the University of Portsmouth, found that less than 60 seconds of all-out exertion, as might happen when an officer is forced to chase-down a fleeing suspect or engage in a physical battle with a resistant criminal, can seriously impair their ability to remember details of the incident – or even identify the person who was involved. Even officers in top condition are not immune to the rapid drain of physical prowess and cognitive faculties resulting from sustained hand-to-hand combat.

The findings, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, are a stark warning to police officers, police chiefs and the courts, according to Dr Hope, a Reader in applied cognitive psychology of the university's Department of Psychology.

She said: "Police officers are often expected to remember in detail who said what and how many blows were received or given in the midst of physical struggle or shortly afterwards. The results of our tests indicate it may be very difficult for them to do this.

"As exhaustion takes over, cognitive resources tend to diminish. The ability to fully shift attention is inhibited, so even potentially relevant information might not be attended to. Ultimately, memory is determined by what we can process and attend to.

"The legal system puts a great deal of emphasis on witness accounts, particularly those of professional witnesses like police officers. Investigators and courts need to understand that an officer who cannot provide details about an encounter where physical exertion has played a role is not necessarily being deceptive or uncooperative. An officer's memory errors or omissions after an intense physical struggle should not unjustly affect his or her credibility."

The research, conducted on police officers in Winnipeg, Canada was coordinated and funded by the Force Science Institute. The research team in Canada included Dr Lorraine Hope (University of Portsmouth), Dr Bill Lewinski (Force Science Institute) and specialists from the Metropolitan Police in the UK.

Researchers recruited 52 officer volunteers (42 males, 10 females), with an average of eight years on the job. All officers were fit and healthy and engaged in regular exercise.

During an initial briefing, the officers were given background information about a recent spate of armed robberies in the city. The briefing included details of how the robberies were conducted and witness descriptions of the perpetrators. Half of the officers then engaged in a full-force physical attack on a 300lb hanging water bag and the others (a control group) were assigned as observers. Officers selected their own "assault movements" on the bag attack — punches, kicks, and/or palm, elbow, and knee strikes—and were verbally encouraged by a trainer during the task. They continued the assault on the bag until they no longer had strength to keep going or until they were breathless and struggling to continue.

The next part of the test required the officers to approach a trailer that a "known criminal" was suspected of occupying. On entering the trailer, the officer found themselves in a realistic living area where a number of weapons, including an M16 carbine, a revolver, a sawn-off shotgun and a large kitchen knife were visible. After a short delay, the "target individual" emerged from another room and shouted aggressively at the officer to get out of his property. The individual was not armed, but several of the weapons were within easy reach.

Dr Hope found those who had been asked to exert themselves physically remembered less about the target individual and made more recall errors compared to the control group of observers. The officers who had been exerted also recalled less about the initial briefing information and what they did report was less accurate. Officers who had been exerted also reported less about an individual they encountered incidentally while en route to the trailer. While more than 90 per cent of non-exerted observers were able to recall at least one descriptive item about him, barely one-third of exerted officers remembered seeing him at all.

Everyone remembered seeing the angry suspect in the trailer, but non-exerted observers provided a significantly more detailed description of him and made half as many errors in recall as those who were exhausted. These observers were also twice as likely to correctly identify the suspect from a line-up.

However, another striking aspect of the findings showed that exerted officers were able to register threat cues in the environment to the same degree at non-exerted officers.

These new findings reveal that although exerted officers were able to pay attention to the threatening aspects of the scene, their ability to then process other aspects of the interaction was affected. As a result of this, some information may only have been processed weakly or not at all – resulting in an impaired memory for many details of the encounter.


A PDF of the paper can be found here.