PTSD Biomarker Found in Study on Police Recruits

Investigators at the New York University School of Medicine Langone Medical Center (LMC) say that they recently discovered a biological marker that could be used to assess a person's risk of developing a stress-related conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Many were convinced that such an indicator must exist, but thus far, no one managed to identify it, despite sustained efforts. As with nearly everything stress-related, it was found that the stress hormone cortisol was involved in the newly found mechanism as well.

The work is detailed in a paper published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Biological Psychiatry. The study was led by NYU LMC scientist Dr. Charles Marmar, PsychCentral reports.

The research showed that measuring cortisol levels in people as soon as they wake up can provide data to be used as indicators for establishing individuals' particular risks of suffering from PTSD, for example, after being exposed to a traumatic event.