Not everyone experiences Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after traumatic events, even when exposed to similar circumstances. The reasons behind this variation remain unclear.

Not everyone experiences Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after traumatic events, even when exposed to similar circumstances. The reasons behind this variation remain unclear.

Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) have uncovered new insights into the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through a study led by Carmen Sandi and Simone Astori. The study reveals how a reduced hormonal response to stress, specifically the levels of glucocorticoids, may be linked to an increased susceptibility to PTSD.

Glucocorticoids, hormones released during stressful situations, play a crucial role in regulating stress responses. People with blunted responses to cortisol, a type of glucocorticoid, may develop PTSD more easily, a finding that has long puzzled researchers due to the difficulties of collecting biological measures before trauma exposure.

In this study, the researchers employed a genetically selected rat model that mimics people with minimal cortisol responses. Using MRI scans, fear conditioning, sleep pattern analysis, and brain activity measurements, they discovered that reduced glucocorticoid responsiveness was associated with impaired fear extinction, reduced hippocampal volume, and disruptions in rapid-eye movement sleep.

Fear extinction, a process by which a conditioned fear response decreases over time, is a hallmark of PTSD. Rapid-eye movement sleep is essential for memory consolidation, and disturbances in this stage of sleep have been linked to PTSD.

The study did not stop there. The researchers subsequently treated the rats with a form of cognitive and behavioral therapy to diminish learned fears. They then administered corticosterone, and this led to a decrease in excessive fear and disturbances in rapid-eye movement sleep, while also returning the levels of the stress-related neurotransmitter norepinephrine to normal.

According to Carmen Sandi, the study provides concrete evidence that a reduced glucocorticoid response is directly implicated in the development of PTSD following exposure to traumatic events. The research suggests that low glucocorticoid levels can contribute to all known vulnerability factors for developing PTSD, including impaired fear extinction.

The first author of the study, Silvia Monari, adds that the findings emphasize the causal role of low glucocorticoids in the multi-trait responses associated with PTSD vulnerability. Understanding these mechanisms could pave the way for more effective interventions to prevent and treat PTSD.

This research underscores the importance of glucocorticoids in the development and progression of PTSD. By investigating the interaction between glucocorticoids, the glucocorticoid receptor, and stress response mechanisms, researchers can shed light on potential therapeutic approaches for PTSD.

Enrichment Data:- Genetic factors, including polymorphisms and methylation patterns, can modulate glucocorticoid responsiveness. This susceptibility, combined with stress exposure, may increase the risk of developing PTSD.- Conditions like bipolar disorder (BD) and mood disorders, which involve dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling, may contribute to increased risk of PTSD and other stress-related psychiatric disorders.

1. Genetic factors, such as polymorphisms and methylation patterns, can affect a person's glucocorticoid responsiveness, increasing their susceptibility to developing PTSD upon stress exposure.
2. The findings of this study suggest that impaired fear extinction, a hallmark of PTSD, might be caused by reduced glucocorticoid levels, which can also contribute to all known vulnerability factors for developing PTSD.
3. To explore potential treatments for PTSD, the researchers employed cognitive and behavioral therapies alongside corticosterone administration, resulting in a decrease in excessive fear and disruptions in rapid-eye movement sleep, and the normalization of norepinephrine levels.
4. In addiction to therapies and treatments, supplements and proper nutrition can play an essential role in maintaining not only physical health-and-wellness but also mental health, as disruptions in stress response mechanisms can have lasting consequences for both fitness-and-exercise performance and overall well-being.

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