Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have lower levels of a chemical in their brains that helps the brain reset itself after a stressful incident, according to a new study. The study found those vets, as compared to vets not suffering from PTSD, have less neuropeptide Y (NPY), which helps regulate the brain’s reaction to stress and anxiety.
Dr. Renu Sah, a University of Cincinnati assistant professor, explained NPY’s function this way: “Imagine a lion is chasing you. While you're running, your body is in a hyper state of function. After you get away, though, you need your body to return to normal.” That’s where NPY plays a role.
In an earlier study, Dr. Sah compared the NPY levels of vets suffering from PTSD to healthy civilians who were not suffering from PTSD. Because this most recent study used veterans who weren’t suffering from PTSD as a comparison, Dr. Sah believes that combat can be ruled out as the reason for lowering the levels of NPY.
Additionally, the study confirms earlier studies performed on Vietnam veterans with PTSD which showed reduced NPY levels.
Read more about the study at:
http://www.research.va.gov/currents/spring2014/spring2014-42.cfm
