Posttraumatic stress disorder, exposure to combat, and lower plasma cortisol among Vietnam veterans: Findings and clinical implications
Posttraumatic stress disorder, exposure to combat, and lower plasma cortisol among Vietnam veterans: Findings and clinical implications
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DOI：
10.1037/0022-006x.64.1.191
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发表时间：
1996-02-01
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
Boscarino, JA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Boscarino, JA
一些临床研究表明，创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的个体经历神经内分泌系统的改变，导致血浆皮质醇显着降低。为了验证这一假设，比较了越南“剧院”退伍军人（n = 2，490）和越南“时代”退伍军人（n = 1，972）的全国样本之间的早晨血清皮质醇。协方差分析用于比较校正9个协变量（教育、收入、种族、年龄、吸烟状况、饮酒、非法药物使用、药物使用和体重指数）后的皮质醇浓度。调整后的皮质醇较低的剧院退伍军人与当前的创伤后应激障碍，但不时代或剧院退伍军人与终身创伤后应激障碍。在战区退伍军人中，皮质醇与战斗暴露呈负相关，暴露于重型战斗的退伍军人浓度最低。血浆皮质醇的分析，连同其他临床数据，可能有助于未来的诊断和治疗应激障碍。
Several clinical studies suggest that individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience neuroendocrine system alterations, resulting in significantly lower plasma cortisol. To test this hypothesis, morning serum cortisol was compared among a national sample of Vietnam ''theater'' veterans (n = 2,490) and a sample of Vietnam ''era'' veterans (n = 1,972) without service in Vietnam. Analysis of covariance was used to compare cortisol concentrations after adjusting for 9 covariates(education, income, race, age, smoking status, alcohol use, illicit drug use, medication use, and body mass index). Adjusted cortisol was lower among theater veterans with current PTSD but not era or theater veterans with lifetime PTSD. Among theater veterans, cortisol was inversely related to combat exposure, with veterans exposed to heavy combat having the lowest concentrations. Analysis of plasma cortisol, together with other clinical data, may be instrumental in the future diagnosis and treatment of stress disorders.