News New study published about ptsd and it's being genetic

[Gs172003]

Is PTSD and the likely hood of someone getting it genetic?

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/molecular-genetic-evidence-ptsd-heritability/

 

[eloc]

This is a little older and a review of genetics and biology of PTSD - this stuff is fascinating well established but medical Drs don't know it https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3182008/pdf/DialoguesClinNeurosci-13-263.pdf

It has the stuff about the twin studies findings

 

[Deadman]

OK I just read the study @Zoogal posted and they say this

“There are interventions effective in preventing PTSD shortly after a person experiences a traumatic event. But they are too resource-intensive to give to everyone"

.

What? Really? You could have stopped me developing full blown PTSD but it was too resource intensive?

I hope they don't mean Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. I did that. For one or two of the times out of twenty or so that incidents that were considered traumatic. Somehow I'm still stuck with PTSD :P

 

[joeylittle]

@Deadman - yeah, it would have been nice of the article to maybe footnote that statement about "interventions available".

When I read it, I assumed they were talking mostly about the early research into pharmacological intervention, as opposed to trauma debriefing.

This is a bit long, but a decent overview , especially in the pharma section: Prevention of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After Trauma: Current Evidence and Future Directions

 

[Deadman]

Hmmm @joeylittle they mention hydrocortisone. Ironically I stopped using hydrocortisone when I went to Afghanistan because my eczema went away at the same time :)

I still don't see what treatments they might be referring to that could be too resource intensive. To me the minor cost of some drugs compared to the loss of up to 20% of trauma victims to PTSD seems pretty small. Trauma+cheap drugs= no PTSD seems a big win to me.

 

[joeylittle]

I think it's resource intensive because it's still research, not actual treatment. So it has to be handled as such.

All I can say is, hopefully, someday... wouldn't it be nice?

 

[Deadman]

@joeylittle yes it would be nice. In the mean time I'll keep volunteering for studies :)

 

[Abigail7]

Wasn't there talk at one point about dosing with benzodiazepines after trauma could prevent PTSD? I wish I could recall where I saw this. I just know I keep enough benzos on hand to dose with in case I'm traumatized again. Who knows if it could help, but might as well, right? (I'm prescribed them anyway.)

 

[joeylittle]

Abigail7 - please consider joining. Guest posts are all checked manually by volunteer staff, and you post regularly - more frequently than the average guest.

If you have questions about membership, you can contact me via the 'contact us' link at the bottom of the page.

Wasn't there talk at one point about dosing with benzodiazepines after trauma could prevent PTSD?

It's in the study I linked.

 

[Abigail7]

Abigail7 - please consider joining. Guest posts are all checked manually by volunteer staff, and yo...

Thanks, but I don't have any money to pay for a membership. I didn't realize all my posts were reviewed and I apologize for taking up your time. I'll cease responding after this.

 

[joeylittle]

Membership is free. There are upgrades you can pay for, but membership costs nothing. So I hope you consider joining.

 

[eloc]

OK I just read the study @Zoogal posted and they say this .

What? Really? You coul...

There is a bit of a bit on this on page 267 of the study I posted
n the context of the above discussion,

• low cortisol levels at the time of expo-sure to psychological trauma may predict the develop-of PTSD
• Therefore, hypocortisolism might be arisk factor for maladaptive stress responses and predis-pose to future PTSD.
  
• This hypothesis is supported in principle by the finding that exogenously administeredhydrocortisone shortly after exposure to psychological trauma can prevent PTSD.
• In addition, it has been shown that simulation of a normal circadian cortisol rhythm using exogenously introduced hydrocortisone is effective in the treatment of PTSD.
  
• it may be that decreased availability of cortisol, as a result of or in combination with abnormal regulation of the HPA axis, may promote abnormal stress reactivity and perhaps fear processing in general.
  
• That said, it should be noted that glucocorticoids interfere with the retrieval of trau-matic memories, an effect that may independently pre-vent or reduce symptoms of PTSD.

Basically you need a shot of hydrocortisone within 6 hours after a traumatic event if you have low cortisol to help with fear. The six hours I read elsewhere - its why I posted the studies review to complement the newsy one above - not enough detail for your average sufferer