The Impact of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Physiological Arousal, Disability and Sensory Pain Thresholds in XXXX with Chronic Whiplash.

@entity1 @entity1931 @entity1005 @entity74 @entity158
OBJECTIVE: @entity74 ( @entity74 ) are common and incur substantial personal and economic costs. Research has shown that persistent posttraumatic stress reactions predict poorer functional recovery in @entity74 ; however, the specific mechanism through which this occurs is unclear. The current study is the first to examine the direct impact of @entity1005 symptoms in @entity74 using laboratory tested @entity158 measures. METHODS: A mixed experimental design was used to examine the impact of exposure to accident cues on chronic @entity74 individuals with (n=33) and without (n=39) @entity1005 . Groups were compared at baseline and post accident cue on self-reported @entity158 and negative affect and laboratory tested arousal and sensory @entity158 threshold measures. RESULTS: At baseline, @entity74 individuals with @entity1005 reported greater disability, negative affect, @entity158 , arousal and lower @entity158 thresholds than those without @entity1005 . As expected, exposure to accident cues resulted in greater increases in arousal and negative affect for those with @entity1005 . Changes in sensory @entity158 thresholds revealed a @entity1931 effect in @entity158 thresholds for the @entity1005 group compared to the No @entity1005 group and mixed findings for pressure @entity158 thresholds. DISCUSSION: Findings from the current study highlight the negative impact of @entity1005 on both physical and psychological outcomes in chronic @entity74 . From a clinical perspective, data suggest that @entity1 exposed to accident-cues may experience arousal that lowers their threshold to certain @entity158 stimuli. Further investigation of effective multidisciplinary interventions and in particular the treatment of @entity1005 in @entity74 is identified as an important area of further investigation.
