Cognitive and biologic components involved in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder

Significant progress has been made in the last decade in understanding and treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Epidemiologic studies have clarified the type of events that are most likely to result in the development of PTSD, and they indicate that the prevalence of PTSD relative to that of trauma exposure is relatively low. That is, the majority of persons exposed to life-threatening traumatic events do not develop or sustain PTSD. As a result, there has been an increased emphasis on understanding the psychologic and biologic factors involved in the development of chronic PTSD. This review summarizes findings from recent studies of the phenomenology, psychology, and neurobiology of PTSD, and discusses potential contributions of risk factors to the development of PTSD.