Imaging brain cortisol regulation in PTSD with a target for 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1

摘要

BACKGROUND. Investigations of stress dysregulation in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have focused on peripheral cortisol, but none have examined cortisol in the human brain. This study used positron emission tomography (PET) to image 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11 beta-HSD1), a cortisol-producing enzyme, as a putative brain cortisol marker in PTSD.