title: Women with PTSD have a changed sensitivity to GABA-A receptor active substances.
abstract: The use of benzodiazepines in treating anxiety symptoms in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been debated. Studies on other anxiety disorders have indicated changed sensitivity to GABA-A receptor active substances.
  
  
  
  In the present study, we investigated the GABA receptor sensitivity in PTSD patients.
  
  
  
  Injections of allopreganolone, diazepam, and flumazenil were carried out, each on separate occasions, in 10 drug naïve patients with PTSD compared to 10 healthy controls. Effects were measured in saccadic eye velocity (SEV) and in subjective ratings of sedation.
  
  
  
  The PTSD patients were less sensitive to allopregnanolone compared with healthy controls. This was seen as a significant difference in SEV between the groups (p = 0.047). Further, the patients were less sensitive to diazepam, with a significant less increase in sedation compared to controls (p = 0.027). After flumazenil injection, both patients and controls had a significant agonistic effect on SEV, leading to decreased SEV after injection. The patients also responded with an increase in sedation after flumazenil injection, while this was not seen in the controls.
  
  
  
  Patients with PTSD have a changed sensitivity to GABA-A receptor active substances. As a consequence of this, benzodiazepines and other GABA-A receptor active compounds such as sleeping pills will be less useful for this group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden. anna.moller@ki.se.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stockholm South Hospital, SE-118 83, Stockholm, Sweden. anna.moller@ki.se.
authors.forename: Anna Tiihonen
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Torbjörn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bäckström
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Söndergaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stockholm South Hospital, SE-118 83, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lotti
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Helström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects*; D012438:Saccades / Q000187:drug effects; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D018757:GABA Modulators; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005442:Flumazenil; D011280:Pregnanolone; D003975:Diazepam
keywords: Allopregnanolone; Benzodiazepines; Diazepam; Flumazenil; Saccadic eye velocity; Sedation