Abstract
Background: Exposure to extremely stressful events can lead to Posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD). Due to the complexity of PTSD, animal models have been designed and
advanced to address the role of psychosocial stressors in the etiology; however, the
apparent role of genetics in susceptibility to PTSD-like behaviors in animals remains
unexplored.
Methods: An animal model of congenital learned helpless (cLH) behavior has been used
to study the effects of genetic disposition as a risk factor for the development of
PTSD-like behaviors. Animals were monitored for changes in pain tolerance, spatial
memory and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal functioning after re-exposure to intermittent
stress in the presence and absence of situational cues.
Results: Exposure to stress resulted in an increase in pain tolerance in the cLH animals.
In the spatial memory test 80% of the cLH animals manifested a decrease in performance
after exposure to stress. These animals also had a blunted poststress corticosterone
response.
Conclusions: The genetic learned helpless animal model exhibited physiologic symptoms
of analgesia, cognitive deficits and hyporesponsivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
axis similar to those observed in human subjects with PTSD. It is proposed that the
cLH model may be a valuable tool for exploring the role of genetic predisposition
in the etiology of PTSD.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 14,
2000
Received in revised form:
September 12,
2000
Received in revised form:
December 5,
2000
Received:
March 2,
2000
Identification
Copyright
© 2001 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
