Using experimental methodologies to assess posttraumatic stress

• The assessment of PTSD is hindered by the absence of an objective biological measure.
• Psychophysiological measures can provide objective assessment of PTSD symptoms.
• HPA axis dysfunction in PTSD may predate trauma or biomarkers of disease process.
• Virtual humans assess behavioral markers that may go unnoticed by a human assessor.
• The future includes early identification of risk for and prevention of PTSD.

The assessment of PTSD is hindered by the absence of an objective biological measure. There is no blood test or stress test or similar objective measurement that reliably indicates the presence or absence of PTSD. In this article we focus on experimental assessments of PTSD. The focus will be on psychobiological indices that have been shown to be dysregulated in PTSD sufferers and that are responsive to treatment for PTSD. This includes psychophysiological startle, cortisol, and related assessments that will be covered succinctly below. We will end this article with future directions in the experimental assessment of PTSD that include novel measures incorporated in the immediate aftermath of trauma to assess current impact and prediction of the development of PTSD.