Psychoneuroendocrine assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder: current progress and new directions

1. Studies in our laboratory have used the psychoendocrine strategy to explore differences in basal hormone levels between patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other groups. This approach has allowed us to explore the relationship between hormone levels and specific psychological and biological processes which appear to develop following exposure to extreme trauma. 2. The concurrent assessment of several hormonal systems provides an opportunity to explore differences in hormonal patterns in various psychiatric disorders. PTSD appears to be characterized by a specific profile of hormonal changes that is distinct from that of other diagnostic groups and normal controls. These findings raise the possibility that the psychoendocrine approach may be useful in further exploring the pathophysiology and diagnosis of PTSD. 3. This paper reviews psychoendocrine changes in PTSD and describes updated multivariate methods that further elucidate psychological and neurochemical correlates of hormonal alterations in this disorder.