Abnormal sympathetic neural recruitment patterns and hemodynamic responses to cold pressor test in women with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more prevalent in women and associated with greater risk of major forms of cardiovascular disease, but physiological mechanisms underlying this association remain unknown. We hypothesized that abnormal sympathetic responses to sympathoexcitatory stimuli might predispose PTSD patients to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. We examined changes in integrated muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) burst and multiunit action potential (AP) recruitment patterns as well as hemodynamic responses during cold pressor test (CPT) in 14 women with PTSD and 14 healthy control subjects.

Early onset neurocirculatory response to static handgrip is associated with greater blood pressure variability in women with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric illness that is more prevalent in women, and accumulating evidence suggests a link between PTSD and future development of cardiovascular disease. The underlying mechanisms are unclear, but augmented sympathetic reactivity to daily stressors may be involved. We measured muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), blood pressure (BP), and heart rate responses in 14 women with PTSD and 14 healthy women (controls) during static handgrip (SHG) exercise to fatigue at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC).

Reduced left ventricular diastolic function in women with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Women are two to three times more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared with men after exposure to a major trauma, and PTSD is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease in later life. The underlying mechanisms are unclear, but alterations in cardiac function may be involved. We hypothesized that women with PTSD have reduced left ventricular (LV) diastolic function.

Cerebral blood flow regulation and cognitive function in women with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with structural and functional alterations in a number of interacting brain regions, but the physiological mechanism for the high risk of cerebrovascular disease or impairment in brain function remains unknown. Women are more likely to develop PTSD after a trauma than men. We hypothesized that cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation is impaired in women with PTSD, and it is associated with impairment in cognitive function.