Relationship between NIH stroke symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder in patients evaluated for transient ischemic attack/stroke.

OBJECTIVE

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a life-threatening medical event. According to the enduring somatic treat (EST) model, internal somatic cues (e.g., rapid heart rate) may contribute to symptoms of stroke/TIA-induced PTSD. To address this possibility, the present study tested the association of stroke-induced disability with PTSD symptoms in patients treated for stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

METHOD: Participants (n = 300) were drawn from an observational cohort study examining PTSD symptoms in patients admitted to the NewYork Presbyterian Hospital between 2015 and 2017 for a stroke/TIA. Patients self-reported acute stress symptoms in-person approximately 3 days post-stroke/TIA and PTSD symptoms via telephone one month later. Severity of stroke symptoms (i.e., stroke disability) was evaluated using the NIH Stroke Scale prior to hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Stroke disability had a significant, positive association with acute stress symptoms early post-stroke/TIA, B = 0.46, se = 0.15, p = .002, and with PTSD symptoms one month later, B = 0.56, se = 0.19, p = .003.

CONCLUSIONS

Stroke disability is positively associated with both acute distress and PTSD symptoms one month later following a stroke/TIA, supporting the hypothesis that internal somatic symptoms contribute to the development stroke/TIA-induced PTSD symptoms.