Swiss researchers find amplifier for PTSD susceptibility
Published: Tuesday, Nov 7th 2023, 09:52
Updated At: Wednesday, Nov 8th 2023, 00:53
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A lack of certain stress hormones makes people more susceptible to developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study. According to the Lausanne researchers, this finding is crucial for both the prevention and treatment of PTSD.
Only around 25 to 35 percent of people who experience a trauma develop post-traumatic stress disorder, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) announced on Tuesday. In a study published in the journal "Biological Psychiatry", EPFL researchers looked for reasons for this.
In the study, they showed that a lack of so-called glucocorticoids can increase susceptibility to PTSD. Glucocorticoids are hormones that the body releases in response to stress. A well-known example of a glucocorticoid is the stress hormone cortisol. Low glucocorticoid levels have previously been observed in PTSD patients following trauma exposure, as the EPFL explained. However, it was originally assumed that this was a consequence of the trauma.
Genetically modified rats
In order to show that the low hormone level can also be a trigger, the researchers carried out tests on rats. These were genetically modified so that they showed a reduced response to glucocorticoids. The researchers trained the rats to associate a marker with anxiety.
They were able to show that the genetically modified rats exhibited sleep disturbances and impaired fear extinction. Fear extinction is a process in which a conditioned fear response diminishes over time; problems with fear extinction are a hallmark of PTSD.
Therapy helps with rats
In the study, the researchers went one step further: After the rats had previously developed conditioned fears, the researchers treated them with a type of therapy that corresponds to what is known as cognitive behavioral therapy in humans.
After the therapy, the rats were given corticosterone, which was used as a drug in this context. The results showed that this combination therapy led to a reduction in both the rats' excessive anxiety and sleep disturbances.
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