Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma testosterone levels in post-traumatic stress disorder and tobacco dependence

The effect of deployment to a combat zone on testosterone levels and the association with the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms: A longitudinal prospective Dutch military cohort study

“…The testosterone levels over time of participants reporting high or low levels of PTSD symptoms at 1 year post-deployment were comparable. This is in agreement with several studies that reported no differences in plasma testosterone levels between patients with combat-related PTSD and healthy controls (Mulchahey et al, 2001;Spivak et al, 2003). However, the pre-deployment levels were found to be predictive of the development of PTSD symptoms at 1 and 2 years after homecoming.…”

“…Higher serum testosterone levels were found in PTSD patients (Mason et al, 1990) and in patients with combat-related PTSD without comorbid disorders (Karlović et al, 2012). In contrast, morning plasma testosterone levels were not found to differ (Spivak et al, 2003) and testosterone concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid concentrations were significantly lower in patients with PTSD (Mulchahey et al, 2001). Although these studies differ in measurement techniques, these studies emphasize that the association between PTSD and testosterone is not clear.…”

The gastrin-releasing peptide system in the spinal cord mediates masculine sexual function

“…Exposure to SPS decreases GRP content in the L3-L4 lumbar spinal cord, and the axonal distribution of GRP in the lower lumbar spinal cord (at the L5-L6 level) in rats, and reduces the capacity of the system to respond to androgens (Sakamoto et al 2009a). We did not find a significant difference between the plasma total testosterone levels of the SPS-exposed and control rats (Sakamoto et al 2009a), which is consistent with findings of normal plasma total testosterone levels in PTSD patients (Mulchahey et al 2001;Bauer et al 1994). The plasma level of total testosterone in rats was normal 7 days after SPS exposure; however, we found a significant decrease in the expression of AR proteins in the lumbar spinal cord (L3-L4 level), but no change in estrogen receptor alpha proteins ( Fig.…”

“…Since the comorbidity between ED and major depressive disorder (MDD) is high, it is possible that a reduced circulating total testosterone level in patients with MDD contributes to the development of ED (Seidman and Roose 2001). In contrast to patients with MDD, there is evidence that plasma or serum total testosterone levels do not change in patients with PTSD (Mulchahey et al 2001;Bauer et al 1994), suggesting that any sexual difficulties accompanying PTSD appear to be unrelated to the circulating levels of androgens. However, the neuronal mechanisms involved in the stress-related male sexual dysfunction within spinal reproductive centers have never been investigated in detail.…”

The Neurobiology of Resilience

“…However, more causative studies are needed to demonstrate this definitively. Given its role in social behavior and positive mood, it is not surprising that blood and saliva testosterone levels decrease following stress 15 and that lower circulating levels are often found in individuals with PTSD or MDD 16,17 . Early studies in men suggest that testosterone may be effective in treatment-resistant depression and as an adjunct to SSRI treatment 17 .…”