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Adult offspring of parents with PTSD have lower cortisol levels
September 04, 2007A small study suggests that adults whose parents are Holocaust survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to have lower average levels of the stress hormone cortisol than the adult offspring of parents without PTSD, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Biological differences seen in individuals with PTSD, including low cortisol levels, could either result from exposure to a traumatic event or could be present before such an event and predispose patients to the condition, according to background information in the article. "Once identified, such risk factors may prove to be useful as predictors of who will develop PTSD after exposure to trauma, or they may even identify potential new targets for prophylaxis [preventive therapy] and treatment," the authors write.
Individuals whose parents had PTSD displayed lower average cortisol levels over the 24-hour period than did those whose parents did not have PTSD or were not exposed to traumatic events. This decrease seemed specifically related to having a mother with PTSD.
"Offspring with parental PTSD also demonstrated changes in some chronobiological parameters previously identified as altered in trauma survivors with PTSD despite that no subject had PTSD at assessment," the authors write. "However, the overall pattern of alterations observed in the offspring with parental PTSD did not follow that reported for PTSD, allowing differentiation between parameters associated with risk vs. those associated with PTSD pathogenesis [development]."
"Although the implications for PTSD prophylaxis cannot be specified from these results, they have clear clinical applications, including assessment of parental PTSD in patients with PTSD and evaluation of stressful events during pregnancy and early childhood," the authors conclude. "Indeed, the data suggest that examination of epigenetic [environmental or other effect that does not change DNA] or in utero phenomena should be added to the search for genetic polymorphisms that may underlie individual differences that increase vulnerability to this disorder."
JAMA and Archives Journals
PTSD Current Events and PTSD News RSSNew UAB Study Sheds Light on Brain's Response to Distress, Unexpected Events
In a new study, psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) are able to see in detail for the first time how various regions of the human brain respond when people experience an unexpected or traumatic event.
Psychiatric impact of torture could be amplified by head injury
Depression and other emotional symptoms in survivors of torture and other traumatic experiences may be exacerbated by the effects of head injuries, according to a study from the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma (HPRT), based in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Department of Psychiatry.
Regulating emotion after experiencing a sexual assault
After exposure to extreme life stresses, what distinguishes the individuals who do and do not develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
Where's the Science? The Sorry State of Psychotherapy
The prevalence of mental health disorders in this country has nearly doubled in the past 20 years. Who is treating all of these patients?
MU Researchers Use Computational Models to Study Fear
The brain is a complex system made of billions of neurons and thousands of connections that relate to every human feeling, including one of the strongest emotions, fear.
Researchers develop an integrated treatment for veterans with chronic pain and posttraumatic stress
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a growing number of soldiers evacuated to the United States for comprehensive care for physical and psychological trauma.
Iraq Troops' PTSD Rate as High as 35%, Says Management Insights StudyLawrence M. Wein
The Veterans' Administration should expect a high volume of Iraq veterans seeking treatment of post traumatic stress disorder, with researchers anticipating that the rate among armed forces will be as high as 35%.
Khmer Rouge trials offer baseline study for mental health impact to a society of war crimes tribunal
A UNC-led study finds that 75 percent of Cambodians believe the Khmer Rouge trials will provide justice and promote reconciliation, but more than 87 percent of people old enough to remember the torture and murder during the Khmer Rouge era say the trials will rekindle "painful memories."
Hormone levels contribute to stress resilience
It is important to understand what biological mechanisms contribute to an individual's capacity to be resilient under conditions of extreme stress, such as those regularly experienced by soldiers, police, and firefighters.
PTSD associated with higher Alzheimer's/dementia risk; moderate alcohol consumption may lower it
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The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth by Glenn Schiraldi (Author) The Definitive Resource for Trauma Survivors, Their Loved Ones, and Helpers Trauma can take many forms, from witnessing a violent crime or surviving a natural disaster to living with the effects of abuse, rape, combat, or alcoholism. Deep emotional wounds may seem like they will never heal. However, with The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook, Dr. Glenn Schiraldi offers a remarkable range of treatment alternatives and self-management techniques, showing survivors that the other side of pain is recovery and growth. Live your life more fully-without fear, pain, depression, or self-doubt Identify emotional triggers-and protect yourself from further harm Understand the link between PTSD and addiction-and how to break it Find the best treatments and... |
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Courage After Fire: Coping Strategies for Troops Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and Their Families by Keith Armstrong (Author), Dr. Suzanne Best (Author), Dr. Paula Domenici (Author), Bob Dole (Foreword) The bravery displayed by our soldiers at war is commonly recognized. However, often forgotten is the courage required by veterans when they return home and suddenly face reintegration into their families, workplaces, and communities. Authored by three mental health professionals with many years of experience counseling veterans, Courage After Fire provides strategies and techniques for this challenging journey home. Courage After Fire offers soldiers and their families a comprehensive guide to dealing with the all-too-common repercussions of combat duty, including posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. It details state-of-the-art treatments for these difficulties and outlines specific ways to improve couple and family relationships. Courage After... |
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The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Relationship: How to Support Your Partner and Keep Your Relationship Healthy by Diane England (Author) War, physical and sexual abuse, and natural disasters. All crises have one thing in common: Victims often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their loved ones suffer right along with them. In this book, couples will learn how to have a healthy relationship, in spite of a stressful and debilitating disorder. They’ll learn how to:Deal with emotions regarding their partner’s PTSD Talk about the traumatic event(s)Communicate about the effects of PTSD to their childrenHandle sexual relations when a PTSD partner has suffered a traumatic sexual eventHelp their partner cope with everyday life issues When someone has gone through a traumatic event in his or her life, he or she needs a partner more than ever. This is the complete guide to keeping the relationship strong and... |
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder For Dummies (For Dummies (Psychology & Self Help)) by Mark Goulston (Author) As Dr. Mark Goulston tells his patients who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), "The fact that you’re still afraid doesn’t mean you’re in any danger. It just takes the will and the way for your heart and soul to accept what the logical part of your mind already knows." In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder For Dummies, Dr. Goulston helps you find the will and shows you the way. A traumatic event can turn your world upside down, but there is a path out of PTSD. This reassuring guide presents the latest on effective treatments that help you combat fear, stop stress in its tracks, and bring joy back into your life. You'll learn how to: Identify PTSD symptoms and get a diagnosis Understand PTSD and the nature of trauma Develop a PTSD treatment... |
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Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD: Emotional Processing of Traumatic Experiences Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work) by Edna Foa (Author), Elizabeth Hembree (Author), Barbara Olaslov Rothbaum (Author) An estimated 70% of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives. Though most recover on their own, up to 20% develop chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. For these people, overcoming PTSD requires the help of a professional. This guide gives clinicians the information they need to treat clients who exhibit the symptoms of PTSD. It is based on the principles of Prolonged Exposure Therapy, the most scientifically-tested and proven treatment that has been used to effectively treat victims of all types of trauma. Whether your client is a veteran of combat, a victim of a physical or sexual assault, or a casualty of a motor vehicle accident, the techniques and strategies outlined in this book will help. In this treatment clients are... |
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The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment by Babette Rothschild (Author) Illuminates the value of understanding the psychophysiology of trauma for both clinicians and their traumatized clients. Traumatized people hold a memory of that trauma in their brains and bodies. This is the first book to link this phenomenon of somatic memory and the impact of trauma on the body. Reducing the chasm between scientific theory and clinical practice and bridging the gap between talk and body therapy, Rothschild presents techniques for addressing the memory in the body. |
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An Operators Manual for Combat PTSD: Essays for Coping by Ashley Hart II (Author) An Operators Manual for Combat PTSD has been written to give the combat veteran a sense of hope and to develop an inner voice to assist in coping with everyday life. We live in two worlds: The physical world around us; The world we can see, hear, touch, and feel, and the world within ourselves. These essays assist the veteran in learning how to monitor triggers, our cues, and balance the world within with the world we live in. With harmonic balance, there is essential well being, validation, even joy. |
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Effective Treatments for PTSD, Second Edition: Practice Guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies by Edna B. Foa PhD (Editor), Terence M. Keane PhD (Editor), Matthew J. Friedman MD PhD (Editor), Judith A. Cohen MD (Editor) Developed under the auspices of the PTSD Treatment Guidelines Task Force of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, this tightly edited work is the definitive best-practice reference for practitioners caring for any trauma population. Leading clinical scientists thoroughly review the clinical and research literature on widely used therapeutic approaches. Succinct treatment guidelines are then presented that feature standardized ratings of the evidence for each approach. The second edition has been revised and expanded to incorporate important advances in the field, including a wealth of new data on child and adolescent therapies.
New to This Edition *Expanded with six... |
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Haunted by Combat: Understanding PTSD in War Veterans Including Women, Reservists, and Those Coming Back from Iraq (Praeger Security International) by Daryl S. Paulson (Author), Stanley Krippner Ph.D. (Author) Across history, the condition has been called soldier's heart, shell shock, or combat fatigue. It is now increasingly common as our service men and women return from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other ongoing combat zones. Since 1990, Veterans' centers here have treated more than 1.6 million affected men and women, including an estimated 100,000 from the Gulf War and an untallied total from the Iraq front and fighting in Afghanistan. The number also includes some 35,000 World War II veterans, because PTSD does not fade easily. Regardless of the months, years, and even decades that have passed, the traumatic events can flash back as seemingly real as they were when they occurred.In Haunted by Combat Paulson and Krippner range across history and into current experiences and treatments for this... |
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