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Figure 1 | BMC Psychiatry

Figure 1

From: Lack of cortisol response in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) undergoing a diagnostic interview

Figure 1

Experimental design. SAM, Self Assessment Manikin; SRS, Symptom Rating Scale; DMS, Delayed matching-to-sample task. After obtaining informed consent subjects gave the first saliva probe and rated their current emotional state via SAM (t1). The diagnostic interview continued with gathering of sociodemographic information. Before the groups were split in a stress and a control group, a memory test (DMS) was performed for purpose of distraction. Afterwards a sample of saliva was taken, and participants completed the SAM followed by the SRS (t2). Subsequently, participants in the stress condition were interviewed about their traumatic (torture) experiences, whereas participants in the control condition were asked about their absorption behavior. Afterwards, subjects again completed the DMS for the purpose of distraction. Then they gave a sample of saliva, and subsequently completed the SAM followed by the SRS (t3). After that, information about comorbid psychiatric disorders was gathered in a clinical diagnostic interview. At the end of the interview, participants gave the fourth saliva sample and completed the SAM (t4).

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