The PTSD Patient in the Audiology Clinic

Duration: 1.5 hours

Presenter: Marc Fagelson, PhD

CEUs: .15

Who Should Attend: Audiologists, in particular, those who work with veterans and tinnitus patients

Level: Introductory
Program Focus: Knowledge

Learner Outcomes:

Upon completion, each participant in the Web seminar will be able to:
1. Recognize PTSD symptoms in patients
2. Modify test procedures to meet the needs of patients with PTSD
3. Refer appropriately to other healthcare practitioners patients with PTSD

Description:
Posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is associated with enduring and profound impairments affecting emotional stability and the ability to perform fundamental activities. In our VA tinnitus clinic population, more than 35% of the patients carry the diagnosis. Perhaps of greater concern, PTSD is generally acknowledged to be substantially underreported among children (Herman, 1997). Individuals with PTSD experience disruptions to a variety of life functions, intrusive memories, and other powerful symptoms. Functional and emotional consequences of trauma are measured using a variety of handicap scales, and several physiological measures such as EEG and EKG are altered by the effects of trauma. Additionally, fMRI and PET scans reveal enduring changes to neural structures such as the hippocampus following exposure to traumatic events (Bremner, 2002).

In this eAudiology Web seminar, we will stress that PTSD should be viewed as a psychological injury; the trauma-provoked physiologic changes that influence not only an individual's to function, but also their ability to obtain benefit from medical care. This presentation will also review the history of the PTSD diagnosis and identify specific elements of the injury that are of significance to audiologists.

Marc Fagelson, PhD is the Director of Audiology, Assistant Chair, and Professor in the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at East Tennessee State University.  His clinical and academic teaching centers on courses covering audiologic evaluation, pathologies of the auditory system, and tinnitus management.  Dr. Fagelson's work with tinnitus patients at the James H. Quillen Mountain Home VAMC tinnitus clinic began in 2001 and was motivated by tremendous need among the veteran population; the clinic now enrolls more than 800 patients.  A substantial proportion of the veterans experience tinnitus that is complicated by the influence of posttraumatic stress disorder.  This challenging and underserved population is the focus of Dr. Fagelson's research.