Authors
Antonia V Seligowski, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
Elizabeth R Steuber, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
Rebecca Hinrichs, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
Mariam H Reda, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MA, 48202, USA
Charis N Wiltshire, Wayne State University, Detroit, MA, 48202, USA
Cassandra P Wanna, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MA, 48202, USA
Sterling J Winters, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MA, 48202, USA
Karlye A Phillips, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
Stacey L House, Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
Francesca L Beaudoin, Department of Emergency Medicine & Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital and the Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, 02930, USA
Xinming An, Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA
Jennifer S Stevens, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
Donglin Zeng, Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA
Thomas C Neylan, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
Gari D Clifford, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
Sarah D Linnstaedt, Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA
Laura T Germine, Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA; The Many Brains Project, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
Kenneth A Bollen, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience & Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA
Guia Guffanti, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
Scott L Rauch, Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
John P Haran, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
Alan B Storrow, Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
Christopher Lewandowski, Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
Paul I Musey, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
Phyllis L Hendry, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine -Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, 32209, USA
Sophia Sheikh, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine -Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, 32209, USA
Christopher W Jones, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA
Brittany E Punches, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA; College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
Michael C Kurz, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA; Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA; Center for Injury Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
Vishnu P Murty, Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19121, USA
Meghan E McGrath, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
Lauren A Hudak, Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
Jose L Pascual, Department of Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA
Mark J Seamon, Department of Surgery, Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA, 19104, USA
Elizabeth M Datner, Department of Emergency Medicine, Einstein Healthcare Network, Pennsylvania, PA, 19141, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Pennsylvania, PA, 19107, USAFollow
Anna Marie Chang, Department of Emergency Medicine, Jefferson University Hospitals, Pennsylvania, PA, 19107, USAFollow
Claire Pearson, Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MA, 48202, USA
David A Peak, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
Roland C Merchant, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
Robert M Domeier, Department of Emergency Medicine, Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA
Niels K Rathlev, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, MA, 01107, USA
Brian J O'Neil, Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MA, 48202, USA
Leon D Sanchez, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
Steven E Bruce, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA
Mark W Miller, National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Science Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
Robert H Pietrzak, National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neurosciences Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
Jutta Joormann, Department of Psychology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
Deanna M Barch, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
Diego A Pizzagalli, Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
John F Sheridan, Department of Biosciences, OSU Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, OSU Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43211, USA
Beatriz Luna, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
Steven E Harte, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Department of Internal Medicine-Rheumatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
James M Elliott, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, 2065, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales, 2006, Australia; Physical Therapy & Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60208, USA
Karestan C Koenen, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
Ronald C Kessler, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
Samuel A McLean, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA; Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA
Kerry J Ressler, Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
Tanja Jovanovic, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MA, 48202, USA
Publication Date
11-1-2021
Abstract
Background: Cross-sectional studies have found that individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit deficits in autonomic functioning. While PTSD rates are twice as high in women compared to men, sex differences in autonomic functioning are relatively unknown among trauma-exposed populations. The current study used a prospective design to examine sex differences in posttraumatic autonomic functioning.
Methods: 192 participants were recruited from emergency departments following trauma exposure (
Results: 2-week systolic BP was significantly higher in men, while 2-week HR was significantly higher in women, and a sex by PTSD interaction suggested that women who developed PTSD demonstrated the highest HR levels. Two-week HF-HRV was significantly lower in women, and a sex by PTSD interaction suggested that women with PTSD demonstrated the lowest HF-HRV levels. Skin conductance response in the emergency department was associated with 2-week HR and HF-HRV only among women who developed PTSD.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that there are notable sex differences in autonomic functioning among trauma-exposed individuals. Differences in sympathetic biomarkers (BP and HR) may have implications for cardiovascular disease risk given that sympathetic arousal is a mechanism implicated in this risk among PTSD populations. Future research examining differential pathways between PTSD and cardiovascular risk among men versus women is warranted.
Recommended Citation
Seligowski, Antonia V; Steuber, Elizabeth R; Hinrichs, Rebecca; Reda, Mariam H; Wiltshire, Charis N; Wanna, Cassandra P; Winters, Sterling J; Phillips, Karlye A; House, Stacey L; Beaudoin, Francesca L; An, Xinming; Stevens, Jennifer S; Zeng, Donglin; Neylan, Thomas C; Clifford, Gari D; Linnstaedt, Sarah D; Germine, Laura T; Bollen, Kenneth A; Guffanti, Guia; Rauch, Scott L; Haran, John P; Storrow, Alan B; Lewandowski, Christopher; Musey, Paul I; Hendry, Phyllis L; Sheikh, Sophia; Jones, Christopher W; Punches, Brittany E; Kurz, Michael C; Murty, Vishnu P; McGrath, Meghan E; Hudak, Lauren A; Pascual, Jose L; Seamon, Mark J; Datner, Elizabeth M; Chang, Anna Marie; Pearson, Claire; Peak, David A; Merchant, Roland C; Domeier, Robert M; Rathlev, Niels K; O'Neil, Brian J; Sanchez, Leon D; Bruce, Steven E; Miller, Mark W; Pietrzak, Robert H; Joormann, Jutta; Barch, Deanna M; Pizzagalli, Diego A; Sheridan, John F; Luna, Beatriz; Harte, Steven E; Elliott, James M; Koenen, Karestan C; Kessler, Ronald C; McLean, Samuel A; Ressler, Kerry J; and Jovanovic, Tanja, "A prospective examination of sex differences in posttraumatic autonomic functioning." (2021). Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers. Paper 170.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/emfp/170
Comments
This article is the author's final published version in Neurobiology of Stress, Volume 15, November 2021, Article number 100384.
The published version is available at https://doi.org10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100384
Copyright © 2021 The Authors
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).