Simple blood test could predict if patients likely to develop PTSD

By Chris Dyer via SWNS

A simple blood test could be used to predict if a patient is likely to develop PTSD and would see potential sufferers getting earlier treatment.

Scientists have discovered biomarkers indicating if someone is facing a high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Patients susceptible to the condition show particular patterns in four biomarkers measurable with a simple blood test, researchers concluded.

The findings of a new study suggest these biomarkers could be used to predict a person’s likelihood of developing PTSD, diagnose the disorder, or monitor the response to treatment.

PTSD can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event and can have a debilitating effect on sufferers.

It is currently diagnosed based on symptoms such as flashbacks, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, negative thoughts, memory problems and avoidance of triggering situations.

Since other disorders can have some of these same symptoms, it can be challenging to diagnose PTSD and assess changes in response to treatment, experts said.

This latest research, which involved analyzing more than 1,000 military personnel, represents the largest prospective study to date to assess the biological markers of PTSD over time.

Stacy-Ann Miller, of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland, said: “This study provides valuable insights into the natural history of PTSD and the effectiveness of interventions, which can inform the development of treatment guidelines and improve the care for individuals suffering from PTSD.

“Better methods of predicting or screening for PTSD could help to overcome the disorder by identifying individuals at high risk of developing PTSD and providing them with early intervention or prevention strategies.

"This could potentially reduce the severity of symptoms or prevent the disorder from developing altogether.”

Biomarkers, which reflect biological processes, can give an objective measure of physiological changes linked with diseases such as PTSD, scientists said.

For the study, researchers analyzed four biomarkers in blood samples from active-duty service members taken before a 10-month deployment, three days after their return and three to six months after their return.

The biomarkers have previously been linked to stress, depression, anxiety and mental health disorders.

They included the glycolytic ratio - a measure of how the body breaks down sugar to produce energy and arginine - an amino acid that plays a role in the immune and cardiovascular systems.

Serotonin - a chemical messenger that helps regulate mood, sleep and other functions - and glutamate - a chemical messenger that plays a role in learning and memory - are the other detected biomarkers.

Researchers divided the study subjects into groups based on measures of PTSD and mental resilience and compared the four biomarkers among the different groups.

Participants were classified as having PTSD, sub-threshold PTSD or no PTSD depending on their clinical diagnosis and PTSD symptoms.

Researchers classified participants’ resilience based on a combination of factors including PTSD, anxiety, sleep quality, alcohol use disorders, combat exposures, traumatic brain injury, and general physical and mental health.

Previous studies have shown that people considered to have low resilience based on these measures are much more likely to develop PTSD after deployment than those with high resilience.

Comparing these biomarkers in people with different PTSD statuses and levels of resilience, the results showed that those with PTSD or sub-threshold PTSD had significantly higher glycolytic ratio and lower arginine than those with high resilience.

People with PTSD also had significantly lower serotonin and higher glutamate than those with high resilience.

These associations were independent of factors such as gender, age, body mass index, smoking and caffeine consumption.

Scientists said the biomarkers could help to predict which individuals face a high risk of PTSD, improve the accuracy of PTSD diagnosis and improve overall understanding of the drivers and effects of PTSD.

Ms. Miller added: “Improved methods of screening and predicting PTSD could inform better treatment approaches by providing a deeper understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of the disorder.

“This could lead to the development of more targeted and effective treatments for PTSD or to identify specific subtypes of PTSD, which may respond differently to different treatments.”

Researchers cautioned that more research and validation would be needed to confirm the biomarkers’ utility in real-world settings.

Miller will present the new research at Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This year it is from March 25 to 28 in Seattle.