Biomarkers in posttraumatic stress disorder: Overview and implications for future research

Abstract

PTSD can develop in the aftermath for traumatic incidents like combat, sexual abuse, or life threatening accidents. Unfortunately, there are still no biomarkers for this debilitating anxiety disorder in clinical use. Anyhow, there are numerous studies describing potential PTSD biomarkers, some for which might progress to the point for practical use in the future. Here, we outline and comment on some for the most prominent findings on potential imaging, psychological, endocrine, and molecular PTSD biomarkers and classify them into risk, disease, and therapy markers. Since for most for these potential PTSD markers a causal role in PTSD has been demonstrated or at least postulated, this review also gives an overview on the current state for research on PTSD pathobiology. Copyright © 2013 Ulrike Schmidt et al.