ARQ Centrum’45 (en)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder. An important diagnostic feature of PTSD is anhedonia, which may result from deficits in reward functioning. This has however never been studied systematically in PTSD. To determine if PTSD is associated with reward impairments, we conducted a systematic review of studies in which reward functioning was compared between PTSD patients and healthy control participants, or investigated in relation to PTSD symptom severity.

Objective: The development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is influenced by preexisting vulnerability factors. The authors aimed at identifying a preexisting biomarker representing a vulnerability factor for the development of PTSD. To that end, they determined whether the dexamethasone binding capacity of leukocytes, as a measure of glucocorticoidreceptor (GR) number, before exposure to trauma was a predictor of development of PTSD symptoms.

AbstractA substantial minority of individuals exposed to severe or traumatic stress subsequently develops long-lasting mental or physical health problems, which may severely impair daily functioning. These stress-related conditions include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and severe fatigue. Military personnel deployed to combat zones are particularly at risk for the development of these conditions.

Deployed soldiers are at risk of developing stress-related conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and severe fatigue. We previously observed condition- and cell-specific differences in sensitivity of immune cells for regulation by glucocorticoids (GCs) pre-deployment between male soldiers with and without subsequent development of high levels of these stress-related symptoms. Here we investigated whether these pre-deployment dysregulations in GC-sensitivity of immune cells persisted after return from military deployment.

This chapter contains sections titled: Traumatic Stress: History, Research, and TreatmentPTG in the Netherlands

Background: Stress sensitization, i.e., increased responsiveness to stressful life events has been found in high trauma exposed adults within the first 18 months following trauma exposure (Smid et al., 2012) as well as in young children (Grasso, Ford, & Briggs-Gowan, 2012). However, it is unclear whether stress sensitization may persist over time. We hypothesized that soldiers exposed to high levels of early life trauma would be at risk of persistence of stress sensitization 2 years following deployment.

Mental Health support (MHS) is an integral part of the whole chain of events within militaryorganizations. Several countries are delivering this support for troops that are active in the currentoperation in Afghanistan (ISAF). Between 2009-2010 TNO Defense, Safety and Security, part of theNetherlands Organization of Applied Scientific Research (TNO), executed a project named Assessment ofOrganization and Execution of Current Practices of Deployment-related MH Support (DRMHS).

Dit proefschrift gaat over de 'sporen' die een traumatische ervaring in het geheugen heeft gegraveerd ('geheugensporen van trauma') als iemand PTSS heeft ontwikkeld.

Psychische gevolgen na een natuurramp worden niet alleen bepaald door de traumatische ervaring zelf en de manier waarop individuen omgaan met de gevolgen van de ramp. Zij worden ook bepaald door de destructieve gevolgen van rampen op de context en de sociale gemeenschap waarin getroffen mensen wonen. Het is belangrijk deze complexe factoren te betrekken in rampen-onderzoek. Dit proefschrift wil aantonen dat het kruisvlak tussen individuele variabelen en determinanten in de rampgetroffen context bepaalt of mensen psychische problemen ervaren na een ramp.

BackgroundCurrently few evidence based interventions are available for the prevention of PTSD within the first weeks after trauma. Increased risk for PTSD development is associated with dysregulated fear and stress responses prior to and shortly after trauma, as well as with a lack of perceived social support early after trauma. Oxytocin is a potent regulator of these processes. Therefore, we propose that oxytocin may be important in reducing adverse consequences of trauma.