title: Endocrine aspects of post-traumatic stress disorder and implications for diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious, multisystem disorder with multiple medical comorbidities. This article reviews the current literature on the endocrine aspects of PTSD, specifically hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis alterations indicative of low cortisol and increased glucocorticoid sensitivity, and the proposed mechanisms whereby these alterations increase risk or reflect pathophysiology. Discussion includes novel treatment innovations and directions for future research.
authors.affiliation: Traumatic Stress Studies Division, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA. nikolaos.daskalakis@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Nikolaos P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Daskalakis
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lehrner
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yehuda
mesh_terms: D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids
keywords: Cortisol; Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Stress; Sympathetic