Recent catastrophic events, such as the attack on the New York World
Trade Center and the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean, have drawn
increasing attention to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Once
thought of only in psychological terms, PTSD has emerged as the model
mental disorder for studying the effect of the environment on human
biological systems, especially the brain. This book breaks new ground by
offering neuroscientific insights into PTSD and their implications for
diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. The recent explosion of biological
investigation into this distressing and disabling condition has been led
by this volume's authors, who range from skilled basic scientists to
experienced diagnosticians and therapists. Their contributions epitomize
state-of-the-art, translational research in clinical neuroscience, and
will prove to be an invaluable source of reference for practitioners and
researchers in this field.