Johannesburg, Oct 29 (PTI) Gut bacteria may help predictthe risk of developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)after experiencing a life-threatening trauma, a study hasfound.
PTSD is a serious psychiatric disorder that can developafter a person experiences a traumatic event.
However, not everyone exposed to a traumatic event willdevelop PTSD, and several factors influence an individual'ssusceptibility, including living conditions, childhoodexperiences and genetic makeup.
In recent years, scientists have become aware of theimportant role of microbes existing inside the humangastrointestinal tract, called the gut microbiome.
These microbes perform important functions, such asmetabolising food and medicine, and fighting infections.
It is now believed that the gut microbiome alsoinfluences the brain and brain function by producingneurotransmitters/hormones, immune-regulating molecules andbacterial toxins.
"Our study compared the gut microbiomes of individualswith PTSD to that of people who also experienced significanttrauma, but did not develop PTSD," said Stefanie Malan-Muller,postdoctoral fellow at Stellenbosch University in SouthAfrica.
"We identified a combination of three bacteria(Actinobacteria, Lentisphaerae and Verrucomicrobia) that weredifferent in people with PTSD," said Malan-Muller, whocollaborated with researchers from the University of ColoradoBoulder in the US for the study.
Individuals with PTSD had significantly lower levels ofthis trio of bacteria compared to trauma-exposed controlgroups, researchers said.
Those who experienced trauma during their childhood alsohad lower levels of two of the bacteria - Actinobacteria andVerrucomicrobia, they said.
"Individuals who experience childhood trauma are athigher risk of developing PTSD later in life, and thesechanges in the gut microbiome possibly occurred early in lifein response to childhood trauma," said Malan-Muller.
However, researchers are unable to determine whether thisbacterial deficit contributed to PTSD susceptibility, orwhether it occurred as a consequence of PTSD.
"It does, however, bring us one step closer tounderstanding the factors that might play a role in PTSD," shesaid.
Factors influencing susceptibility and resilience todeveloping PTSD are not yet fully understood, and identifyingand understanding all these contributing factors could infuture contribute to better treatments, researchers said. PTIMHNMHN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
