"Aging and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" (PTSD) explores the psychological sequelae of severe trauma in elderly patients and the manifestations in old age of psychological symptoms secondary to trauma experienced earlier in life. Although methodological issues have made the scientific study of PTSD difficult, a number of well-designed research projects have begun to identify some of the key factors of aging and PTSD.

Do elderly patients respond differently to stress than younger people, and do the effects of early stress change over time? These questions are the focus of the book's 22 contributors. Research with World War II combat veterans, Holocaust survivors, elderly victims of trauma, and abused elderly persons provides new insight into why they might experience trauma differently than younger individuals. Longitudinal data collected over a 14-year period provide a fascinating comparison of psychological distress and PTSD among older and younger people.

I am honored to introduce readers to this extraordinary volume, the first in the annual International Perspectives Series: Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neurosciences. This particular volume on the Recent Advances In Schizophrenia stems from the Third Annual Pennsylvania Conference on Schizophrenia, held in March, 1988. At that international meeting, some of the most esteemed researchers in the field surveyed our current under standing of schizophrenia. Collectively, their presentations capture the excitement of a research field launching into a stage of rapid worldwide advancement. The last decade has seen an enormous refocusing of scientific effort on schizophrenia, directed, in large measure, by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Our understanding of this mysterious, disabling disorder in all its diversity has been enhanced by a host of technologies, including new neuroimaging techniques, cognitive psychology, molecular genetics, and anatomical, biochemical, and molecular neuropathology. The resulting growth spurt in our knowledge constitutes the essence of the conference and of this volume. As the following pages amply docu ment, it has been a decade of great progress, one in which we can take great pride. The science of our field has matured to the point that a major research thrust is now feasible-one likely to have enormous benefits for schizophrenic patients and their families. It is a very exciting time to be in this field and to participate in accelerating its advances."

The Trauma of War: Stress and Recovery of Vietnam Veterans is a unique psychiatric source book. This volume provides a scientific account of the psychological ravages of the war in Vietnam on the men and women who served there, but throughout the book reverberates the troubled voices of these veterans-and the sensitive voices of the mental health professionals who have been directly affected by their work with these veterans. The chief emphasis on The Trauma of War: Stress and Recovery of Vietnam Veterans involves careful evaluation of troubled veterans and sensitive but effective modes of treatment. The special readjustment needs of black, Hispanic, and women veterans are also addressed. Finally, application of this clinical material to the area of posttraumatic stress disorder research reflect the significant advances that have been made in the field since posttraumatic stress disorder was first recognized as a diagnostic entity. These advancements in research constitute a fitting legacy to the thousands of Vietnam veterans who have continued to suffer from the trauma of war.