Metabolomics: A Window for Understanding Long-Term Physical Consequences of Disturbed Sleep and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Function in Posttraumatic Stress
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress (PTS) is a common psychiatric condition that may result after combat exposure and can have a profound effect on sleep and physical health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome. Sleep disturbances may lead to alterations in stress response hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis that may increase metabolic risk. Women may be at particularly high risk for these health concerns, given an increased prevalence of PTS and metabolic conditions in women compared to men. The purpose of this study is to identify biological mechanisms using a broad-based study of metabolomics that may explain differences in PTS, sleep disturbances, and metabolic risk in men and women. This broad approach can reveal circulating small molecules that affect cell and physiological function and will be used to identify biochemical pathways involved in PTS, sleep disturbances, and health. Metabolomic analysis will be performed on precollected plasma samples from a study that had a two-group cross-sectional design in which main comparisons were with medically healthy medication-free male and pre-menopausal female subjects with chronic PTS (N= 44) and trauma-exposed, age-matched controls (N= 44). Previously collected measures, including sleep EEG and metabolic markers (e.g., fasting glucose, insulin response to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)), fasting lipids, and leptin, will also be examined.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1151211
Entities
People
- Sabra Inslicht
Organizations
- Northern California Institute for Research and Education