engleski

Biological Factors in Patients with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Alcoholism

Traumatic events, beyond the usual human experience, such as danger to life or hysical integrity or close kin being exposed to the similar danger, can cause certain pschological problems in individual, which are described in the frame of a disorder named posttraumatic stress disorder. The exposure to numerous stressful events and influences causes the development of body defence mechanisms, as a result of numerous factors, where mostly the CNS, but also the adrenal and cardiorespiratory system play the major roles. When the inner homeostasis is endangered, the neuroendocrine system is activated, and its response to danger depends upon the intensity of stressor, duration of exposure and capability of system to compensate stress. The exposure to stress and the direct effect of stressor initiates yet another defence mechanism, and that is the increased consumption of alcohol, as a manner of self-medication under the direct influence of stressor. Both PTSD and alcoholism gradually lead to the development of damage to the neuroendocrine system. In our study of function of neuroendocrine system, we have included two groups of patients, namely the group of patients suffering from PTSD and alcoholism and the group of patients suffering only from alcoholism. We have measured the levels of cortysol in serum and 24 h urine, dexamethasone suppression test and serum levels of ACTH, TSH, T3, T4, testosterone, prolactine and growth hormone. The results obtained suggest the presence of alterations of neuroendocrine axes in both groups of subjects tested, more pronounced in the group of subjects with comorbidity of PTSD and alcoholism.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder; Alcoholism; Neuroendocrine Changes

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