New research identifies a hormonal imbalance linked to PTSD. Researchers found that individuals diagnosed with PTSD showed reduced levels of the hormone oxytocin and elevated levels of vasopressin, a hormone involved in stress response.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666497624000122

A recent study published in Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology provides insight into the biological mechanisms that may underlie post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers found that individuals diagnosed with PTSD showed reduced levels of the hormone oxytocin and elevated levels of vasopressin, a hormone involved in stress response. These findings suggest that an imbalance between these two hormones, particularly the ratio of vasopressin to oxytocin, could be a strong indicator of PTSD.

The key finding of the study was that participants with PTSD had significantly lower levels of oxytocin and significantly higher levels of vasopressin compared to both the SWAT trainees and the endurance athletes. These differences were substantial—over twice the levels for each hormone. While cortisol levels did not significantly differ between groups, the ratio of vasopressin to oxytocin was particularly effective at distinguishing PTSD patients from the non-traumatized individuals.

How can I test for this?