engleski

Changes of cerebral hemodynamics and increased catecholamines in post traumatic stress disoerder patients

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 level of stress hormones and cerebral hemodynamic changes in PTSD pts previous to and after psychiatric treatment of PTSD. 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 21-day long psychiatric treatment of PTSD pts and in control subjects. In the first analysis 34 PTSD pts (68%) had increased mBFV and 29 (58%) had increased level of VMA. After 21-day long psychiatric treatment 9 PTSD pts (18%) had increased mBFV and 8 (16%) had increased level of VMA. In control group only 2 subjects (4%) had increased mBFV while VMA was at normal level in all subjects. The differences between two measured groups were statistically significant. 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 syndrome. Psychiatric treatment can diminish these hemodynamic and hormonal changes in PTSD pts.

Cerebral hemodynamics; Stress hormones; Posttraumatic stress disorder

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