Post-traumatic stress disorder: advances in psychoneuroimmunology

Abstract

Exposure to trauma can result in immune dysregulation, and increasing evidence suggests that there are immune alterations associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the exact nature of these immune findings in PTSD has not been defined. The study of psychoneuroimmunology in PTSD is relevant not only for understanding the biological underpinnings of this disorder, but also for establishing the nature of the associations between PTSD and other medical and psychiatric illnesses.