Prior observational studies have suggested that medications targeting the renin-angiotensin system, such as angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), may be associated with decreased PTSD symptoms. Given known sex differences in PTSD prevalence and cardiovascular disease, here we tested whether the effects of ACE-I/ARB status on PTSD differ by sex. We also expanded these observations with replication analyses in a large biorepository database. Participants in the initial sample included 840 trauma-exposed individuals recruited as part of the Grady Trauma Project. The Modified PTSD Symptom Scale (M-PSS) was administered and ACE-I/ARB status was determined by self-report. Replication analyses were conducted using a large biorepository database (Partners Healthcare Biobank, N = 116,389) with diagnoses and medication status based on available electronic health records. Among individuals treated with ACE-Is/ARBs in the initial sample, women had significantly higher M-PSS total and Re-experiencing severity compared to men (p's < 0.05). Analyses with the large biorepository sample robustly replicated the overall effects of ACE-I/ARB medication associated with lower rate of PTSD diagnosis (p < 0.001). We also demonstrated that this effect may be specific to the renin-angiotensin system as it did not replicate for beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or diuretics. When we examined more specific drug classes, results indicated that the ACE-I/ARB effect on PTSD may be driven more by ARBs (e.g., Losartan) than by ACE-Is. Post-hoc analyses indicated that racial differences may exist in these effects. Overall, our results replicate and extend prior observations that the renin-angiotensin system is associated with PTSD. Medications targeting this system may be worthy of further investigation for PTSD treatment. Our findings suggest that sex and race effects should be considered in future treatment research.
An increasing number of psychology students encounter electronic textbooks (e-texts), whether by personal choice or instructor adoption. Across two studies-one quasiexperimental and one experimental-we compared students' experiences with print books versus e-texts. Study 1 capitalized on a naturally occurring comparison: the same course was taught across consecutive semesters at the same university using the same text, but once requiring a print book and once requiring an e-text. An anonymous survey revealed comparable ratings of the degree to which students across the two semesters felt their text was interesting, clear, able to hold their attention, and good value for their money. E-text students reported spending significantly more time on mid/end-of-chapter practice multiple-choice questions than did print book students, and enthusiasm for using an e-text was greater after experience with the modality. Study 2 was a controlled experiment in which participants read the identical section of a psychology text, but were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) print book, (b) on-screen portable document format (PDF), or (c) interactive e-text. Once again, self-report measures were comparable across groups, with the exceptions being that interactive e-text participants reported spending the most time on practice multiplechoice questions and finding those questions most helpful. On a postreading test, interactive e-text participants outperformed other groups on items that were similar to the earlier practice questions, but the three groups did not differ significantly on overall test performance, providing no evidence that on-screen text presentation impaired memory or comprehension. Classroom implications, study limitations, and future research directions are explored.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.