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Cerebrospinal fluid neuropeptide Y in combat veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

ABSTRACT: Accruing evidence indicates that neuropeptide Y (NPY), a peptide neurotransmitter, is a resilience-to-stress factor in humans. We previously reported reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NPY concentrations in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subjects as compared with healthy, non-combat-exposed volunteers. Here we report CSF NPY in combat-exposed veterans with and without PTSD. We quantified NPY concentrations in morning CSF from 11 male subjects with PTSD from combat in Iraq and/or Afghanistan and from 14 combat-exposed subjects without PTSD. NPY-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) was measured by EIA. The relationship between CSF NPY and clinical symptoms, as measured by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), was assessed, as was the relationship between combat exposure scale (CES) scores and CSF NPY. As compared with the combat-exposed comparison subjects without PTSD, individuals with PTSD had significantly lower concentrations of CSF NPY [mean CSF NPY was 258. 6 ± 21.64 pg/mL in the combat trauma-no PTSD group but only 180.5 ± 12.62 pg/mL in PTSD patients (p=0.008)]. After adjusting for CES and BDI scores the two groups were still significantly different with respect to NPY. Importantly, CSF NPY was negatively correlated with composite CAPS score and intrusive (re-experiencing) subscale scores, but did not significantly correlate with CES or BDI scores. Our current findings further suggest that NPY may regulate the manifestation of PTSD symptomatology, and extend previous observations of low CSF NPY concentrations in the disorder. Central nervous system NPY may be a clinically important pharmacotherapeutic target, and/or diagnostic measure, for PTSD.

SUBMITTER: Sah R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4749916 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Cerebrospinal fluid neuropeptide Y in combat veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

Sah Renu R Ekhator Nosakhare N NN Jefferson-Wilson Lena L Horn Paul S PS Geracioti Thomas D TD

Psychoneuroendocrinology 20131105

Accruing evidence indicates that neuropeptide Y (NPY), a peptide neurotransmitter, is a resilience-to-stress factor in humans. We previously reported reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NPY concentrations in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subjects as compared with healthy, non-combat-exposed volunteers. Here we report CSF NPY in combat-exposed veterans with and without PTSD. We quantified NPY concentrations in morning CSF from 11 male subjects with PTSD from combat in Iraq and ...[more]

PMID: 24485499

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Project description:Recent work inspired by graph theory has begun to conceptualize mental disorders as networks of interacting symptoms. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom networks have been investigated in clinical samples meeting full diagnostic criteria, including military veterans, natural disaster survivors, civilian survivors of war, and child sexual abuse survivors. Despite reliable associations across reported networks, more work is needed to compare central symptoms across trauma types. Additionally, individuals without a diagnosis who still experience symptoms, also referred to as subthreshold cases, have not been explored with network analysis in veterans. A sample of 1,050 Iraq/Afghanistan-era U.S. military veterans (851 males, mean age = 36.3, SD = 9.53) meeting current full-criteria PTSD (n = 912) and subthreshold PTSD (n = 138) were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders (SCID). Combat Exposure Scale (CES) scores were used to group the sample meeting full-criteria into high (n = 639) and low (n = 273) combat exposure subgroups. Networks were estimated using regularized partial correlation models in the R-package qgraph, and robustness tests were performed with bootnet. Frequently co-occurring symptom pairs (strong network connections) emerged between two avoidance symptoms, hypervigilance and startle response, loss of interest and detachment, as well as, detachment and restricted affect. These associations replicate findings reported across PTSD trauma types. A symptom network analysis of PTSD in a veteran population found significantly greater overall connectivity in the full-criteria PTSD group as compared to the subthreshold PTSD group. Additionally, novel findings indicate that the association between intrusive thoughts and irritability is a feature of the symptom network of veterans with high levels of combat exposure. Mean node predictability is high for PTSD symptom networks, averaging 51.5% shared variance. With the tools described here and by others, researchers can help refine diagnostic criteria for PTSD, develop more accurate measures for assessing PTSD, and eventually inform therapies that target symptoms with strong network connections to interrupt interconnected symptom complexes and promote functional recovery.

Dataset Information

Cerebrospinal fluid neuropeptide Y in combat veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

Publications

Cerebrospinal fluid neuropeptide Y in combat veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

Similar Datasets

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