University study shows way to diagnose PTSD

SCIENTISTS at the University of Birmingham hope to have found a new neurobiological marker to help recognise patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Researchers studied the brain activity of a group of 13 patients using an electroencephalogram (EEG), a test that detects electrical activity in a person’s brain via electrodes attached to their scalp. This was then compared to a group who had suffered a similar trauma but had not gone on to develop PTSD.

The condition is estimated to affect about one in every ten people who have a traumatic experience, and is particularly seen in troops returning from combat.

It can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event or it can occur weeks, months or even years later and can affect a person’s memory. Events that can cause PTSD include serious road accidents, violent personal assaults, witnessing violent deaths, military combat, being held hostage, terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

Dr Ali Mazaheri, of the University of Birmingham’s School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, said: “What we found was that patients who had developed PTSD showed enhanced brain responses to deviant tones, suggesting their brain over-processed any change in the environment.”

Experts at the University of Amsterdam have also been involved in the work. The team has now begun further research validating the marker and also plans a clinical trial to test potential treatments.