Potential Biomarker for PTSD Found

Researchers have found the potential biomarkers for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers say that blood expression levels of genes targeted by PTSD can be used as markers for the condition.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that affects a person who has recently witnessed a traumatic event such as a death. About 3.5 percent of the U.S. adult population has been diagnosed with this condition. A recent study had shown that half of all PTSD have symptoms of depression.

The recent study was conducted on rat models. The researchers exposed both male and female test animals to litter soiled by cat urine. Rats perceive cat urine scent as a threat marker. The researchers then categorized rats based on their behavior a week after urine scent exposure. The team looked at the differences in stress response in different categories of the animals, according to a news release

Rats with signs of PTSD had higher anxiety and hyperarousal. These rats were more likely to show altered glucocorticoid receptor signaling than other rats. Glucocorticoid steroids are anti-inflmmatory compounds. These molecules are also associated with several molecular pathways.

Also, some rats in the study were treated with a hormone called corticosterone. These hormone activates the glucocorticoid receptor. The researchers found that these rats showed lower anxiety levels than trauma-exposed rats.

"Our aim was to determine which genes are differentially expressed in relation to PTSD," said Rachel Yehuda, PhD, lead investigator of the study. "We found that most of the genes and pathways that are different in PTSD-like animals compared to resilient animals are related to the glucocorticoid receptor, which suggests we might have identified a therapeutic target for treatment of PTSD."

The study also shows that PTSD isn't just a mental disorder, but affects several molecular pathways in the body.

The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).