Study finds executive functioning may contribute to chronic PTSD

“Our work indicates that executive functioning may affect how people recover from PTSD, and that those with cognitive impairments may have unique needs that may not be met with current

treatments,” said Dr. Audreyana Jagger-Rickels, lead author for the study, a post-doctoral fellow at the National Center for PTSD, and researcher with Boston Attention and Learning Lab, VA

Boston HCS and Boston University.

The study by researchers at the National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School included 368 Veterans who had been

deployed to post-9/11 conflicts from the Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders at VA Boston. Veterans completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scan to

measure communication between brain networks at rest. Participants also completed tests that measure post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and executive functioning. Many of the Veterans

also completed a second assessment around two years later, to see who recovered and who experienced more chronic, long-lasting PTSD. Researchers investigated differences in brain

connectivity and differences in PTSD two years later, comparing those with impaired and better executive functions.

“Ultimately, we hope our work will lead to developing new interventions targeting executive functions and the underlying brain systems,” Jagger-Rickels added. “For example, treating

executive functioning deficits with cognitive training, brain stimulation or pharmacotherapies, potentially in concert with evidence-based PTSD treatments, may improve outcomes for Veterans

and others who are dealing with chronic PTSD.”

The study is available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-022-02011-y