Towards the development of a neurocomputational profile of Peruvian women with symptoms of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

In 2022, more than seventeen thousand cases of violence against women were perpetrated in Perú (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2021). The repetition of traumatic events can generate self-concept problems and affective dysregulation, turning into a more pervasive clinical condition: Complex PTSD (CPTSD) (Jowett et al., 2020). Nevertheless, the specific neural, cognitive and affective characteristics of CPTSD in women are unclear. Following the RDoC framework for psychopathology research (Kozac & Cuthbert, 2016), we aim at contributing to the development of a neurocomputational profile of women with CPTSD using behavioral, electrophysiological and self report measurements. To achieve this, we will recruit 134 women between 18 and 55 years old with CPTSD symptomatology assessed by the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) and the Frequency of Traumatic Events Scale (LEC), and 100 healthy controls. Three behavioral tasks will be examined: a two bandit task computationally modeled with Reinforcement Learning algorithms, an Auditory Oddball Task to evaluate neural Event-Related Potentials (ERP) and a 3D Body Image Scale. Furthermore, we will explore the relationships of Sexual Subjectivity, Emotional Dysregulation, Hallucinations, Body Awareness and Eating Disorder Symptomatology with CPTSD symptomatology and the behavioral tasks results. We expect to contribute empirically and theoretically to the evaluation and prediction of treatment response in women who suffered violence. Particularly, we expect to contribute to the establishment of boundaries of CPTSD with other diagnoses, the identification of CPTSD subtypes and the development of treatment strategies. This is critical to improve the well-being of women who suffered violence and diminish the economic impact of violence against women in society.