Neurophysiology of PTSD
Last week's BMJ had a review on recent advances in psychiatry with some interesting stuff on the neurobiology of PTSD - it is associated with increased secretion of corticotropin releasing factor (corticotropin is released from the hypothalamus, acts on the pituitary to make it release adrenal corticotropin hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands) - however in PDSD there seems to be a negative feedback, because the hormone levels themselves are down. Functional neuroimaging has also shown activation abnormalities in hippocampus, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex and parts of prefrontal cortex - areas associated with memory, fear responses and visuospatial processing.
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