Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have found that the likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after emotional shock is associated with low levels of glucocorticoid hormones in the body. results published In the journal Biological Psychiatry.
PTSD is a serious mental condition that occurs as a result of a single or repeated event that has an extremely strong negative impact on the psyche of the individual. Examples of such events include accidents, physical or sexual violence, and natural disasters. A person exposed to such shocks may remain indifferent or, on the contrary, become angry. Other symptoms of PTSD include crying, fear of certain people and places, and trouble sleeping.
Swiss scientists have discovered why some people are more vulnerable to developing PTSD. It turned out that they and more mentally stable people have significant differences in the levels of glucocorticoids released into the blood during stress. Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones produced by the adrenal glands. These include cortisol. This is the main stress hormone that controls the intensity of fear and other emotions by interacting with certain parts of the brain.
A study using rats (genetically modified to resemble humans and with a lower response to cortisol) found that decreased response to glucocorticoids was associated with several key features of PTSD. These include prolonged periods of fear, decreased hippocampal volume, and REM sleep disorders.
The scientists then gave the mice sham cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce fear and injected the animals with corticosterone, the mouse equivalent of the hormone cortisol. Researchers noted that this treatment helps reduce excessive levels of fear and eliminate REM sleep disorders. Most likely, this type of treatment would be potentially effective in humans.
Previous scientists discovered The link between cycling and depression.