Nervous and Endocrine System Dysfunction in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Overview and Consideration of Sex as a Biological Variable

Seligowski, Antonia V.; Harnett, Nathaniel G.; Merker, Julia; Ressler, Kerry J.

doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.12.006

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 144 publications

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“…Skin conductance response appears to be stronger at rest and in response to aversive stimuli among those with PTSD compared to control subjects [79]. In fearconditioning studies, both males and females with PTSD exhibit greater skin conductance to conditioned stimuli paired with aversive unconditioned stimuli during both fear acquisition and extinction phases than do trauma-and non-trauma-exposed controls without PTSD [79]. Additionally, skin conductance response to a trauma reminder in the Emergency Department in the acute aftermath of trauma exposure, positively correlates with the probability of developing chronic PTSD in a sample composed of both men and women [66].…”

Section: Skin Conductance and Acoustic Startle Responsementioning

confidence: 84%

“…It is unclear if gonadal steroid hormones directly modulate the immunological response in PTSD, or achieve that effect via the HPA axis. While several studies have included female participants in their samples [79], only one recent study probed for sex differences in levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a sample of PTSD adults in comparison to age-and sexmatched controls [97]. The study demonstrated altered overnight levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in men and women with PTSD in comparison to healthy controls, but did not find any sex difference [97].…”

Section: Sex Differences In Inflammationmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…In humans, the amplitude of skin conductance response is related to the level of arousal elicited by visual stimuli with either positive or negative emotional valence. Skin conductance response appears to be stronger at rest and in response to aversive stimuli among those with PTSD compared to control subjects [79]. In fearconditioning studies, both males and females with PTSD exhibit greater skin conductance to conditioned stimuli paired with aversive unconditioned stimuli during both fear acquisition and extinction phases than do trauma-and non-trauma-exposed controls without PTSD [79].…”

Section: Skin Conductance and Acoustic Startle Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

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Sex differences in post-traumatic stress disorder risk: autonomic control and inflammation

2020

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Aim: Over 7 million U.S. adults and about 20% of the military population have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a debilitating condition that is independently linked to a significantly greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Women have twice the probability of developing PTSD after experiencing a traumatic event compared to men. Existing literatures have reported higher inflammation and autonomic dysfunction including impaired baroreflex sensitivity, increased sympathetic reactivity and decreased parasympathetic activity in PTSD. However, most of these findings stem from studies conducted predominantly in males. Methods:We attempt in this narrative review to summarize the mixed literature available on sex differences in autonomic dysfunction and inflammation in PTSD, at rest and in response to stress in PTSD.Results: This review reveals that there is a paucity of research exploring autonomic function in females with PTSD. Recent studies have included female participants without probing for sex differences. A small number of studies have been conducted exclusively in women. Available data Terms of use and reuse: academic research for non-commercial purposes, see here for full terms. https://www.springer.com/aamterms-v1

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Section: Skin Conductance and Acoustic Startle Responsementioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Sex Differences In Inflammationmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Skin Conductance and Acoustic Startle Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

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Sex differences in post-traumatic stress disorder risk: autonomic control and inflammation

2020

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“…Gender-based differences are related to the frequency of occurrence of child abuse experiences, while 1 of 5 adult women report having suffered some abuse in childhood, only 1 in 13 men report it; in the same way, women report a greater intensity of emotional abuse than men (Edwards et al, 2003;WHO, 2018). In addition, there is a higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress in women than in men, besides the discordance in the types of traumas experienced between women and men; to unravel the gender-related alteration in these phenotypes because of abuse, more research is needed (Seligowski et al, 2020).…”

Section: Early Trauma In Womenmentioning

confidence: 99%

CIERMMI Women in Science Medicine and Health Sciences Handbooks T-XIII

JESÚS¹,

OLIVARES-RAMÍREZ²,

CRUZ-RAMÍREZ³

et al. 2021

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As the first chapter, Terán, Cisneros and Gutiérrez present Knowledge of health personnel about HPV screening tests: a systematic review, as second chapter, González, Meraz, Chávez and González will discuss Health Risk Behaviors and Emotional State of Medical Students as third chapter, Aguilar, Morado, Villada and Tovar present Early trauma as conditioning of psychopathology in adult women, as fourth chapter, Torre, Therio, Carrillo and Mendoza propose Growth and development of the craniofacial region and the stomatognathic apparatus, as the fifth chapter, Villarreal, Enriquez, Hernández and Medina, perform Assessment of physical activity, sedentary behaviors and physical fitness in perimenopausal women, as the sixth chapter, Díaz, González, Uvalle and Mederos develop Pro-Inflammatory cytokines: Leptin and visfatin associated to obesity in young university students, as seventh chapter, Enríquez, Vieyra, Ramos and Trujillo, will discuss Presence of neuroglobin in the substantia nigra in a murine model of parkinson's disease: an immunohistochemical study, in eighth chapter, Martínez, Tavizon, Carlos and Mauricio present Prevalence of ectopic eruption and intercanine distance in children aged 6 to 12 years. Cycle 2019-2020, as the ninth chapter, Caceres, Zárate, Flores and Bustillos, performed Anxiety in medical students, during a COVID-19 pandemic and as the last chapter, González, Hernández, Martínez and González, focus on Overwiev of general plant toxicology uses and adverse effects.

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“…Sex differences in PTSD prevalence are well-established, however, little is known about sex differences in autonomic functioning among trauma-exposed samples (for a review, see Seligowski et al, 2020 ). In a study of assault survivors, women who experienced increased HR during script-driven imagery were more likely to be given a PTSD diagnosis six months later compared to men and compared to women who didn't have such a response ( Kleim et al, 2010 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A prospective examination of sex differences in posttraumatic autonomic functioning

Seligowski

Steuber

Hinrichs

et al. 2021

Neurobiology of Stress

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Background Cross-sectional studies have found that individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit deficits in autonomic functioning. While PTSD rates are twice as high in women compared to men, sex differences in autonomic functioning are relatively unknown among trauma-exposed populations. The current study used a prospective design to examine sex differences in posttraumatic autonomic functioning. Methods 192 participants were recruited from emergency departments following trauma exposure ( Mean age = 35.88, 68.2% female). Skin conductance was measured in the emergency department; fear conditioning was completed two weeks later and included measures of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV). PTSD symptoms were assessed 8 weeks after trauma. Results 2-week systolic BP was significantly higher in men, while 2-week HR was significantly higher in women, and a sex by PTSD interaction suggested that women who developed PTSD demonstrated the highest HR levels. Two-week HF-HRV was significantly lower in women, and a sex by PTSD interaction suggested that women with PTSD demonstrated the lowest HF-HRV levels. Skin conductance response in the emergency department was associated with 2-week HR and HF-HRV only among women who developed PTSD. Conclusions Our results indicate that there are notable sex differences in autonomic functioning among trauma-exposed individuals. Differences in sympathetic biomarkers (BP and HR) may have implications for cardiovascular disease risk given that sympathetic arousal is a mechanism implicated in this risk among PTSD populations. Future research examining differential pathways between PTSD and cardiovascular risk among men versus women is warranted.

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Nervous and Endocrine System Dysfunction in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Overview and Consideration of Sex as a Biological Variable

Cited by 19 publications

References 144 publications

Sex differences in post-traumatic stress disorder risk: autonomic control and inflammation

Sex differences in post-traumatic stress disorder risk: autonomic control and inflammation

CIERMMI Women in Science Medicine and Health Sciences Handbooks T-XIII

A prospective examination of sex differences in posttraumatic autonomic functioning

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