In the face of danger: Exploring the attentional blink to emotional facial expressions in PTSD

Abstract

There is a wealth of evidence demonstrating an attentional bias to threat-related information in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders. However, there is an ongoing debate whether an enhanced identification of threatening information or rather difficulties to disengage from such signals of danger constitute this bias. The present study used a dual target rapid visual presentation paradigm to examine the temporal allocation of attention to facial expressions of anger and happiness in 16 Palestinian victims of torture with PTSD and 16 control subjects. Findings revealed that signals of threat seem to interfere with already processed information in individuals suffering from PTSD. In contrast, PTSD does not facilitate attention to threatening information. The data provide support for detrimental disengagement as an underlying mechanism of the attentional bias toward threat in PTSD, possibly contributing to symptom development and maintenance.