Research into why certain individuals are more susceptible to establishing PTSD is necessary for both avoiding and treating the disorder.A recent research study carried out by Carmen Sandi and Simone Astori at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has shed light on the role of glucocorticoids in PTSD development. To do this, the group used MRI scans to determine the volume of various brain regions, trained rats to associate a hint with worry, recorded their sleep patterns, and determined their brain activity.By combining these approaches, the researchers discovered that a blunted responsiveness to glucocorticoids led to a “associated multi-trait reaction” that includes impaired fear extinction (in males), decreased hippocampal volume, and rapid-eye-movement sleep disturbances.To explain the terms: Fear extinction is a procedure by which a conditioned worry response diminishes over time; problems with fear termination are a trademark of PTSD.”Our study provides causal proof of a direct implication of low glucocorticoid responsiveness in the development of PTSD symptomatology following exposure to terrible experiences, i.e., impaired worry termination,” states Carmen Sandi.
Research into why certain individuals are more prone to establishing PTSD is essential for both avoiding and treating the disorder.A recent study carried out by Carmen Sandi and Simone Astori at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has actually shed light on the function of glucocorticoids in PTSD advancement. To do this, the group utilized MRI scans to measure the volume of different brain areas, trained rats to associate a hint with worry, tape-recorded their sleep patterns, and measured their brain activity.By integrating these approaches, the researchers found that a blunted responsiveness to glucocorticoids led to a “correlated multi-trait response” that consists of impaired fear termination (in males), minimized hippocampal volume, and rapid-eye-movement sleep disturbances.To discuss the terms: Fear extinction is a process by which a conditioned worry response diminishes over time; problems with fear termination are a hallmark of PTSD.”Our study supplies causal proof of a direct ramification of low glucocorticoid responsiveness in the development of PTSD symptomatology following exposure to distressing experiences, i.e., impaired worry termination,” says Carmen Sandi.