The psychophysiology of motor vehicle accident related posttraumatic stress disorder

Heart rate, BP, and electrodermal responses of four individuals with PTSD secondary to motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) were measured while they imagined two separate scenes related to their MVA. Results showed reliable HR responses to these images. In addition, SBP and DBP also showed some responsivity to the images while skin resistance level changed reliably in only 2 of 4 subjects. Psychophysiological measurement could play a role in the assessment and treatment of MVA-related PTSD.     

One's sex,sleep, and posttraumatic stress disorder

Women are approximately twice as likely as men to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after trauma exposure. Mechanisms underlying this difference are not well understood. Although sleep is recognized to have a critical role in PTSD and physical and psychological health more generally, research into the role of sleep in PTSD sex differences has been only recent. In this article, we review both animal and human studies relevant to sex differences in sleep and PTSD with an emphasis on the roles of sex hormones. Sleep impairment including insomnia, trauma-related nightmares, and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep fragmentation has been observed in individuals with chronic and developing PTSD, suggesting that sleep impairment is a characteristic of PTSD and a risk factor for its development. Preliminary findings suggested sex specific patterns of sleep alterations in developing and established PTSD. Sleep maintenance impairment in the aftermath of trauma was observed in women who subsequently developed PTSD, and greater REM sleep fragmentation soon after trauma was associated with developing PTSD in both sexes. In chronic PTSD, reduced deep sleep has been found only in men, and impaired sleep initiation and maintenance with PTSD have been found in both sexes. A limited number of studies with small samples have shown that sex hormones and their fluctuations over the menstrual cycle influenced sleep as well as fear extinction, a process hypothesized to be critical to the pathogenesis of PTSD. To further elucidate the possible relationship between the sex specific patterns of PTSD-related sleep alterations and the sexually dimorphic risk for PTSD, future studies with larger samples should comprehensively examine effects of sex hormones and the menstrual cycle on sleep responses to trauma and the risk/resilience for PTSD utilizing various methodologies including fear conditioning and extinction paradigms and animal models.     

Risk factors of posttraumatic stress disorder among survivors after the 512 Wenchuan earthquake in China

This study investigated the psychological reactions of survivors of the 512 Wenchuan earthquake in China and the risk factors associated with those reactions. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Type D Scale-14 (DS14), a self-developed trauma experience questionniare, and a demographic questionnaire were administered to 956 earthquake survivors (389 males and 567 females) in Mianzhu, one of the cities most affected by the earthquake. The results showed that postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms affected 84.8% of survivors one to two months after the earthquake. Significant risk factors associated with PTSD symptoms included: (1) being female; (2) older age; (3) higher exposure to traumatic events during the earthquake; and (4) negative affect in Type-D personality.     

创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的生物学研究概述

创伤后应激障碍（posttraumatic stress disorder,PTSD）是灾害后精神及行为障碍的一种重要表现形式,具有发病率及患病率高、病程长、疗效差等特点,严重影响了临床救治。对于创伤后应激障碍发病机制及其防治的研究日益受到关注。致力于PTSD研究的研究者,从行为学、神经内分泌等宏观研究,到形态学、细胞分子生物学等功能研究,再到临床实验研究,做了大量的工作,得到了许多具有实际指导意义的结果。本文针对国内外研究者近年来在这方面的研究现状进行综述,从宏观上为PTSD后续的研究提供一些循证的证据。     

Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder with relaxation and biofeedback training

This study investigated the use of biofeedback and relaxation training on six patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) referred routinely for biofeedback treatment in a VA medical center. Subjects received between 8 and 14 sessions of training overall, as well as concurrent individual and group therapy. Measures used to assess treatment outcome include pre- and posttreatment MMPI, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scores, as well as electromyographic and subjective measures of tension within each session. Additionally, an overall posttreatment clinical rating of change and 1- to 2-year follow-up data were obtained for each subject. Slight to marked improvements were demonstrated for each subject, as evidenced by improvements on the State Anxiety Inventory Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory, a decrease in overall MMPI scores, and lowered EMG and subjective tension ratings for all participants. Possible alternative explanations for improvement (situational demand characteristics, regression toward the mean, lack of independent subject evaluation) are described, along with other study limitations. This preliminary investigation suggests that the use of relaxation training and biofeedback may be a particularly useful component within a comprehensive treatment program for this disorder.     

Effects of the Higashi-Nihon earthquake: posttraumatic stress, psychological changes, and cortisol levels of survivors

On March 11, 2011, the Pacific side of Japan's northeast was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami. For years, many researchers have been working on ways of examining the psychological effects of earthquakes on survivors in disaster areas who have experienced aftershocks, catastrophic fires, and other damage caused by the earthquake. The goal of this study is to examine scores on psychological measures and salivary cortisol level in these individuals both before and three months after the earthquake. The participants had been measured for these variables before the earthquake. After the earthquake, we carried out PTSD screening using CAPS for participants for another experiment, and then again conducted the aforementioned tests. We collected saliva samples from all survivors. Our results show that social relationship scores on the WHO-QOL26, negative mood scores of the WHO-SUBI, total GHQ score, POMS confusion scores, and CMI emotional status score after the earthquake showed scores indicating significantly decreased compared to before the earthquake. On the other hand, salivary cortisol levels after the earthquake was significantly increased compared to before the earthquake. Moreover, the result of a multiple regression analysis found that negative mood score on the WHO-SUBI and social relationship score on the WHO-QOL26 were significantly related to salivary cortisol levels. Our results thus demonstrate that several psychological stress induced by the earthquake was associated with an increase in salivary cortisol levels. These results show similar findings to previous study. We anticipate that this study will provide a better understanding of posttraumatic responses in the early stages of adaptation to the trauma and expand effective prevention strategies and countermeasures for PTSD.     

Social support and posttraumatic stress disorder in combat veterans in Croatia

Recent studies have shown that greater social support after combat stress is associated with better psychological posttraumatic outcomes. By comparison of a group of veterans (n = 71) who sought psychiatric help and were diagnosed with PTSD (clinical group) and a group of veterans (n = 43) without PTSD (control group) we examined various components of structural and functional social support in war veterans in Croatia. The measures of social support were assessed for two time periods: a) immediately after the war, and b) at the present time. Results of two-way analysis of variance indicate that veterans without PTSD tend to report significantly higher number of persons who provide them different forms of social support than veterans with PTSD. Perceived family and friends support is higher in veterans without PTSD than in veterans with PTSD. Support received from friends and fellow soldiers decreases over time in both groups, whereas for the clinical group support of friends decreases significantly more.     

Decoding small peptides:Regulators of plant growth and stress resilience

Small peptides(SPs) are pivotal signaling molecules that play essential roles in the precise regulation of plant growth, development, and stress responses. Recent advancements in sequencing technologies, bioinformatics approaches, and biochemical and molecular techniques have significantly enhanced the accuracy of SP identification, unveiling their diverse biological functions in plants. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the characteristics and methodologies for identifying SPs in plants. It highlights recent discoveries regarding the biological roles and signaling pathways of SPs in regulating plant growth,development, and plant–microbial interactions, as well as their contributions to plant resilience under various environmental stresses, including abiotic stress, nutrient deficiencies, and biotic challenges.Additionally, we discuss current insights into the potential applications of SPs and outline future research directions aimed at leveraging these molecules to enhance plant adaptation to environmental challenges. By integrating recent findings, this review lays a foundation for advancing the understanding and utilization of SPs to improve plant resilience and productivity.     

Correlation of sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

The aim of the study was to examine the relationships between global sleep quality and its specific components and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptom severity questionnaire. We also researched whether sleep quality and sleep disturbances differed among groups of PTSD based on symptom severity categories. This study was conducted on the sample of 120 Croatian war veterans with PTSD. The following self-report instruments were used: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Addendum for PTSD, the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. There were statistically significant differences between the three PTSD severity groups on general nervousness (PSQI-A variable), where patients with extremely severe PTSD have more symptoms of general nervousness than groups with severe or moderate PTSD. Differences were found between PTSD severity groups in episodes of terror and acting-out dreams, where patients with extremely severe PTSD have more symptoms of episodes of terror and acting-out dreams than groups with severe or moderate PTSD. Sleep quality was significantly correlated with state anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression, indicating that with decrease of anxiety and depression, sleep quality improves. Sleep latency was positively correlated with both state and trait anxiety. There wasn't any significant correlation between sleep latency and depression. Study suggests that sleep disturbances are equally severe across groups of veterans based on PTSD severity and that the severity of sleep disturbances is significantly related to severity of anxiety and depression symptoms.     

Forensic psychiatric evaluation of persons with posttraumatic stress disorder undergoing criminal trial

The aim of our study was to determine if there is a difference between the type of crime committed by persons diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that committed by other offenders. The study included 389 male patients at the Department of Forensic Psychiatry in Popovaca who underwent forensic psychiatric evaluation to establish a psychiatric diagnosis, evaluate the mental capacity, and provide advice on further treatment. The data on the number of individuals with PTSD vs. other psychiatric disorders and the data on family violence vs. other criminal acts were analyzed with chi2 test. Of a total of 389 forensically evaluated male patients, 45 (11.6%) suffered from PTSD. Study subjects with PTSD only or PTSD comorbid with the other psychiatric disorders committed family violence significantly more often than subjects diagnosed with the other psychiatric disorders chi2(1) = 40.092, P < 0.001. Subjects with PTSD, whether or not comorbid with the other psychiatric disorders, committed family violence significantly more often than subjects with other psychiatric diagnoses.     

Decreased premotor cortex volume in victims of urban violence with posttraumatic stress disorder

Background

Studies addressing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have demonstrated that PTSD patients exhibit structural abnormalities in brain regions that relate to stress regulation and fear responses, such as the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Premotor cortical areas are involved in preparing to respond to a threatening situation and in representing the peripersonal space. Urban violence is an important and pervasive cause of human suffering, especially in large urban centers in the developing world. Violent events, such as armed robbery, are very frequent in certain cities, and these episodes increase the risk of PTSD. Assaultive trauma is characterized by forceful invasion of the peripersonal space; therefore, could this traumatic event be associated with structural alteration of premotor areas in PTSD?

Methodology/Principal Findings

Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from a sample of individuals that had been exposed to urban violence. This sample consisted of 16 PTSD patients and 16 age- and gender-matched controls. Psychometric questionnaires differentiated PTSD patients from trauma-exposed controls with regard to PTSD symptoms, affective, and resilience predispositions. Voxel-based morphometric analysis revealed that, compared with controls, the PTSD patients presented significant reductions in gray matter volume in the ventral premotor cortex and in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex.

Conclusions

Volume reduction in the premotor cortex that is observed in victims of urban violence with PTSD may be associated with a disruption in the dynamical modulation of the safe space around the body. The finding that PTSD patients presented a smaller volume of pregenual anterior cingulate cortex is consistent with the results of other PTSD neuroimaging studies that investigated different types of traumatic events.     

Long-lasting hippocampal synaptic protein loss in a mouse model of posttraumatic stress disorder

Despite intensive research efforts, the molecular pathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and especially of the hippocampal volume loss found in the majority of patients suffering from this anxiety disease still remains elusive. We demonstrated before that trauma-induced hippocampal shrinkage can also be observed in mice exhibiting a PTSD-like syndrome. Aiming to decipher the molecular correlates of these trans-species posttraumatic hippocampal alterations, we compared the expression levels of a set of neurostructural marker proteins between traumatized and control mice at different time points after their subjection to either an electric footshock or mock treatment which was followed by stressful re-exposure in several experimental groups. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic in vivo study analyzing the long-term neuromolecular sequelae of acute traumatic stress combined with re-exposure. We show here that a PTSD-like syndrome in mice is accompanied by a long-lasting reduction of hippocampal synaptic proteins which interestingly correlates with the strength of the generalized and conditioned fear response but not with the intensity of hyperarousal symptoms. Furthermore, we demonstrate that treatment with the serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine is able to counteract both the PTSD-like syndrome and the posttraumatic synaptic protein loss. Taken together, this study demonstrates for the first time that a loss of hippocampal synaptic proteins is associated with a PTSD-like syndrome in mice. Further studies will have to reveal whether these findings are transferable to PTSD patients.     

Masticatory muscle and temporomandibular joint pain in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and intensity of masticatory muscle and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The examined group consisted of 100 Croatian war veterans, in whom PTSD had previously been diagnosed. Patients were compared with 92 subjects who had not taken part in the war and in whom PTSD was excluded by psychiatric examination. The clinical examination consisted of palpation of the masticatory muscles, the prominent neck musculature, and TMJ. The examination technique used and the definition of items were previously tested for reliability and validity. 93% of the subjects with PTSD had masticatory muscle tenderness compared to 45.65% of the subjects in the control group (chi2 = 51.46, p < 0.0001). The most frequent painful location in the subjects with PTSD was the left lateral pterygoid site in 88%, and in subjects of the control group the right lateral pterygoid site in 28.26% of cases. The most painful location in the PTSD group was the left lateral pterygoid site in 72%, and in the control group the left posterior digastric in 4.35% of cases. 58% of the subjects with PTSD had TMJ tenderness compared to 3.26% of subjects in the control group (chi2 = 66.23, p < 0.0001). The most frequent painful location of TMJ in both groups was the left posterior capsule; in the PTSD group 38% and in subjects in the control group 2.17% of cases. The most painful location was the left posterior capsule in 28% of subjects with PTSD, while not one subject in the control group reported severe painful sensitivity. The very high frequency and intensity of pain in subjects with PTSD confirms the effect of stress on muscle and joint sensitivity, i.e. perception of pain.