Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Pituitary Gland Dysfunction - Essay Example

The fact that a hypoactive HPA axis is at the root of PTSD goes against traditional notions of stress research, which indicate that a stress response should increase adrenaline release. A classic stress response results in an increase in activity in the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands, readying it for fight or flight but also resulting in a rise in cortisol levels. Cortisol then binds to the body's receptors, acting as a negative feedback loop to lower hormone levels to normal (Jaffee et al.). Nearly the exact opposite occurs in PTSD, and PTSD is not even the only stress disorder that results in a hypoactive HPA axis (Heim, Ehlert, and Hellhammer).

            One theory for the hypoactive HPA pathway in PTSD patients is that they are hypersensitive to cortisol. Studies have shown that the cortisol receptors in PTSD patients are more sensitive to cortisol and that there are more of these receptors than in normal patients. This greatly increased sensitivity to cortisol means that its negative feedback effects on the HPA axis are magnified (Jaffee et al.)

            It is also possible that the hypoactivity often seen with PTSD, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, and other chronic stress states is not related to the stress disorders at all, but is due to a co-morbidity with major depressive disorder (Yehuda et al.). This hypothesis is reasonable because life with a chronic stress disorder is often very difficult for the patient, and being unable to successfully live a normal life could easily result in major depression.

            The endocrine system affects every other major body system. These effects and links show themselves in surprising ways, such as a link between pituitary action and post-traumatic stress disorder that is the exact opposite as would be expected from a stress response. There are several theories as to why this is the case, and it is clear that more research is needed on the subject to confirm any of them.