目前关于创伤后应激障碍（post-traumatic stress disorder，PTSD）和创伤后成长（post-traumatic growth，PTG）的关系存在争论，一些研究认为二者存在正性关系，而另外一些研究认为二者存在负性关系，还有少量研究认为二者不存在相关关系。同时，目前学术界一致认为情绪在创伤后的心理生理变化中有着极其重要的作用，而前额叶区（prefrontal cortex， PFC）特别是背外侧前额叶区（dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex，DLPFC）密切参与了情绪诱发的生理变化过程，且PFC在参与正性和负性情绪功能的过程中具有不对称性。
鉴于以上背景，本研究首先选取了2395 名经历天津8.12爆炸事故的被试探讨 PTSD 和 PTG 以及二者与应激源之间的关系，要求被试填写创伤后应激障碍量表（PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version  ， PCL-C）、创伤后成长量表（Posttraumatic Growth Inventory，PTGI）以及应激源暴露程度量表，然后使用皮尔逊相关分析的方法以考察PTSD 和PTG以及二者与应激源暴露之间的关系。
本研究使用情绪启动范式从行为的层面比较了 PTSD 和 PTG 在正性和负性情绪启动条件下的行为反应是否不同，以及这种差异与左侧和右侧前额叶的关系。在此基础上，进一步借助多道生理仪探讨在对 PTSD 和 PTG 个体进行情绪刺激时二者的心率变异性（heart rate variability，HRV）特点。最后，使用功能性近红外光学成像技术考察 PTSD 和 PTG 个体在静息状态以及情绪刺激条件下 PFC特别是DLPFC 的激活情况。
结果发现，1）PTSD 和 PTG 存在非常弱的相关关系，相关系数仅为-0.05；2）且 PTSD 与应激源的直接暴露、亲友伤亡以及财产住房损失呈显著的正性相关关系，而PTG与上述创伤相关因素的相关系数则比较小；3）行为反应结果表明，在正、负性情绪启动条件下，PTSD 的反应时间都要长于对照组，而 PTG组与对照组没有显著区别；4）在进行正、负性情绪图片刺激时，PTG 的 HRV 中低频和高频成份都要高于对照组，PTSD 这两个指标与对照组则没有差别；PTG的低频/高频比值高于 PTSD，表明了 PTG 具有更好的交感副交感神经系统平衡性； 5）近红外光学成像证据表明，当进行负性情绪图片刺激时， PTG 左侧DLPFC出现了显著激活，而 PTSD 则没有观察到这个现象；当进行正性情绪图片刺激时，PTSD 右侧DLPFC 在出现了显著激活，而 PTG则没有观察到这一现象。以上结果提示，PTG 在 HRV 方面的改变可能是受到 DLPFC 的调控。本研究从情绪的角度研究 PTSD 和 PTG 所伴随的心率变异性和脑功能方面的不同，为探讨二者之间的差异提供了生理和神经科学方面的证据支持。

The relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG)  is controversial, some studies supported that they are positively correlated, but some other studies supported that they are negatively correlated, at same time, there are even some studies reported that there no correlation between them.  Meanwhile, many studies supported  that emotion played  a very important role during the post-trauma experience, and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) especially the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is closely involved the process of physiological changes induced by emotion.  
The present study at first evaluated the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)  and post-traumatic growth (PTG). A sample of 2,395 participants completed measures of posttraumatic  stress disorder according to the post-traumatic stress disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and a trauma-exposure related survey. The results indicated that whereas PTSD was not correlated with PTG. It was  positively correlated with the traumatic exposure level, but PTG was not observed in this phenomenon. Secondly,  we randomly selected 90 participants and divided them into groups of PTSD, PTG and control to compare their characteristics of emotional response through the affective priming paradigm. The data showed that PTSD required more time to do the priming task and PTG demonstrated no difference compared to the control group. Combined with previous research findings, the relationship between PTSD and PTG may depend on the type and severity of the trauma, the exposure level and other such parameters.  
Meanwhile, our study aims at investigating differences of emotional performance between the PTSD and PTG, in order to evaluate the differences of heart rate variability among PTSD and PTG, the participants received exposure to affective images and electrocardiogram is recorded during the process. At last, functional near-infrared spectroscopy  (fNIRS)  is used to measure PFC especially the DLPFC activity through  hemodynamic response in the condition of emotion experiencing correlated with PTSD and PTG. The results  indicated that, while performing the negative and positive picture stimulating, PTG increased both in low and high frequency components of HRV compared with the control group, but PTSD was not observed in this phenomenon. Moreover, the fNIRS data revealed that PTG had an increased activation in the left DLPFC compared to the control in the condition of negative pictures stimulating, whereas PTSD showed a higher activation in the right DLPFC while receiving positive pictures stimulating. To our knowledge, this is the first study which provides the differences between PTSD and PTG in emotional regulation.