An analysis of inhibitory functioning in individuals with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.

•Inhibitory deficits such as seen in prepulse inhibition and attentional blink may underlie cognitive abnormalities in PTSD.•Deficits in prepulse inhibition were more prevalent in trauma-exposed individuals with PTSD compared to those without PTSD and healthy controls.•Deficits in attentional blink were more prevalent in both trauma-exposed with and without PTSD compared to healthy controls.•Prepulse inhibition and attentional blink were not strongly associated.•These findings suggest a general faulty inhibitory mechanism associated with trauma exposure and PTSD.