Autobiographical memory performance in cancer survivors with PTSD

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the ability to retrieve episodic and semantic autobiographical information from previous lifetime periods and post-traumatic stress disorder.Methods: To this end, a group of women with cancer who suffered from PTSD and a control group were matched for age and IQ. Participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) and Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI), followed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the translated versions of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R).Results: The cancer survivors were able to generate fewer specific episodic and semantic details about the past compared to the control group. The amount of these defects had a direct relationship with PTSD specific symptoms. The more symptomatic survivors showed greater memory impairment.Conclusion: The data from this study were discussed in terms of compromised access to specific autobiographical material in distressed trauma survivors reflecting a process of affect regulation.