Numerous studies have demonstrated explicit and working memory deficits related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but few have addressed longitudinal changes in memory functioning. There is some evidence to suggest an interactive effect of PTSD and aging on verbal memory decline in Holocaust survivors (Yehuda et al., 2006). However, the longitudinal trajectory of neuropsychological functioning has not been investigated in Vietnam veterans, a younger but substantial population of aging trauma survivors. We administered tests of visual and verbal memory, and working memory to derive different dependent measures in veterans between the ages of 41 and 63, the majority of whom served in the Vietnam War. Twenty-five veterans with PTSD and 22 veterans without PTSD were assessed over two time points (mean age at follow-up = 54.0; mean inter-test interval = 34 months). The PTSD+ group, consisting of veterans with chronic, primarily combat-related PTSD, did not show a significant change in PTSD symptoms over time. Compared to veterans without PTSD, veterans with PTSD showed a greater decline in delayed facial recognition only, and this decline was extremely subtle. (JINS, 2009, 15, 853–861.)

The consequences of congenital brain disorders for adult cognitive function are poorly understood. We studied different forms of memory in 29 young adults with spina bifida meningomyelocele (SBM), a common and severely disabling neural tube defect. Nondeclarative and semantic memory functions were intact. Working memory was intact with low maintenance and manipulation requirements, but impaired on tasks demanding high information maintenance or manipulation load. Prospective memory for intentions to be executed in the future was impaired. Immediate and delayed episodic memory were poor. Memory deficits were exacerbated by an increased number of lifetime shunt revisions, a marker for unstable hydrocephalus. Memory status was positively correlated with functional independence, an important component of quality of life. (JINS, 2007, 13, 312–323.)