Please explain in detail Biology behind the problem of Post

Please explain in detail Biology behind the problem of Post traumatic Stress disorder. Also if possible to cite the source in MLA format.

Thank You

Solution

PTSD or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (psychiatric disorder) can occur following any horrible experiences like accidents, physical or sexual assault, witnessing a life-threatening event (military combat or natural disasters or terrorist incidents or serious accidents). Eve though hey will survive, the stress reactions will never go and gives them the nightmares and flashback and disturb their usual daily life.

It has been observed that PTSD is associated with biological changes which results in the psychological symptoms and results in substance abuse, depression, loss of memory and cognition, will have problems with physical and mental health.

It has been reported that in case of PTSD, the persons will have biological vulnerability due to increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and decreased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) functioning and these are found to occur after one month when the person exposed to trauma. The person to adapt the stressors over the time, they will have the allostatic load (AL) and is due to the cumulative physiological wear and tear.

It is the allostatic load which contributes to the development of PTSD and the effect AL was due to the release of primary mediators of stress systems like epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol etc and also the release of C-reactive protein (CRP). The high levels of stress hormones released during traumatic experience will supress the hypothalamic activity and causes the PTSD, this causes biochemical changes in the brain and results in depression. The high Brain catecholamine levels and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) concentrations will results in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and disturbs the limbic system and frontal cortex linking.

As the HPA axis is found to be responsible for coordinating the hormonal response to stress, any disturbance in this will going to cause strong negative feedback inhibition of cortisol and also glucocorticoid receptors sensitivity will increase.

The resulting low cortisol will results in the PTSD.

References

C. Gandubert, J. Scali, , M-L. Ancelin, I. Carrière, , A-M. Dupuy, G. Bagnolini, K. Ritchie,   M. Sebanne, L. Martrille, E. Baccino (2016).Biological and psychological predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder onset and chronicity. A one-year prospective study. Neurobiology of Stress (Volume 3).

Jonathan E. Sherin,Charles B. Nemeroff (2011). Post-traumatic stress disorder: the neurobiological impact of psychological trauma. Clin Neurosci. 13(3): 263–278.