engleski

Changes in brain hemodynamic and low concentration of cortisol in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder

Previous investigations indicated cerebral hemodynamic changes in terms of increased mean blood flow velocities (mBFV) detected with transcranial dopler ultrasonography (TCD) in patients (pts) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to determine correlation between level of stress hormones and cerebral hemodynamic changes in PTSD pts. We examined 50 pts with acute PTSD, aged between 30 and 50 years (yrs), as well as 50 healthy subjects similar ages as control group. On the first day after hospitalization TCD was done and the measures of vanilmandelic acid (VMA) in 24-hour urine (as metabolit of adrenalin and nor-adrenalin) were analyzed in PTSD pts. The same diagnostic procedures were repeated after in PTSD pts 21-day long psychiatric treatment and in control subjects. In the first analysis 34 PTSD pts had increased mBFV, 29 of them (85.26%) had increased level of VMA. After 21-day long psychiatric treatment 9 PTSD pts had increased mBFV and 8 of them (88.88%) had increased level of VMA. The difference between two measures was statistically significant (p<0.01). In control group only 2 subjects had increased mBFV while VMA was at normal level in all subjects. The conducted research implies on correlation between increased level of stress hormones and increase of mBFV in circle of Wiillis arteries, probably caused by cerebral vasosospasm and hyperdynamic syndrom.

posttraumatic stress disorder; stress; cerebral hemodynamics

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