Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2011;13(3):240-3.
doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2011.13.2/nandreasen.

What is post-traumatic stress disorder?

Nancy C Andreasen
Editorial

What is post-traumatic stress disorder?

Nancy C Andreasen. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2011.

Abstract

Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are categorized as separate and discrete disorders, the boundary between them is sometimes indistinct. Their separation is based on the assumption that PTSD results primarily from psychological stress, while TBI is the consequence of an identifiable injury to the brain. This distinction is based on an antiquated polarity between mind and brain, and the separation of the two disorders often becomes arbitrary in day-to-day psychiatric practice and research.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Jones J., Fear NT., Wessely S. Shell shock and mild traumatic brain injury: a historical review. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164:1641–1645. - PubMed
    1. Mott FW. The microscopic examination of the brains of two men dead of commotion cerebri (shell shock) without visible external injury. BMJ. 1917;2:612–615. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Schaller WF. After-effects of head injury, the post-traumatic concussion state, and the post-traumatic psychoneurotic state. JAMA. 1939;113:1779–1785.
    1. Lishman WA. Brain damage in relation to psychiatric disability after head injury, Br J Psychiatry. 1968;114:373–410. - PubMed
    1. Lishman WA. Physiogenesis and psychogenesis in the “ post-concussional syndrome.”. Br J Psychiatry. 1988;153:460–469. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms