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Elevated circulatory level of GABAA – antagonistic neurosteroids in patients with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2000

B. SPIVAK
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness Ziona; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv; Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Ben Gurion University Faculty of Medicine and Research Unit, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel
R. MAAYAN
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness Ziona; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv; Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Ben Gurion University Faculty of Medicine and Research Unit, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel
M. KOTLER
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness Ziona; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv; Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Ben Gurion University Faculty of Medicine and Research Unit, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel
R. MESTER
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness Ziona; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv; Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Ben Gurion University Faculty of Medicine and Research Unit, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel
I. GIL-AD
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness Ziona; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv; Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Ben Gurion University Faculty of Medicine and Research Unit, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel
B. SHTAIF
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness Ziona; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv; Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Ben Gurion University Faculty of Medicine and Research Unit, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel
A. WEIZMAN
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness Ziona; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv; Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Ben Gurion University Faculty of Medicine and Research Unit, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel

Abstract

Background. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a multisystem neurobiological disorder with chronic alterations in various neurochemical systems. Levels of the GABAA – antagonistic neurosteroids plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphate derivate, dehydro-epiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) may be relevant to depressive and anxiety disorders, including PTSD.

Methods. We assessed the circulatory levels of morning plasma DHEA and DHEAS in 21 male out-patients with untreated chronic combat-related PTSD (CR-PTSD), and 18 healthy control male subjects.

Results. Compared with the control subjects, the PTSD patients showed significantly higher plasma DHEA and DHEAS levels.

Conclusions. Chronic CR-PTSD may be associated with increased circulatory level of neuroactive steroids with inhibitory activity at the GABAA receptors. Neurosteroid-induced decreased GABA-ergic tone may be relevant to the symptomatology and pathophysiology of chronic PTSD, as well as to the frequent co-morbidity of PTSD with depression and anxiety disorders.

Type
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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