Biological Contributions to PTSD

Although the majority of the world’s population will be exposed to trauma, only a small minority will subsequently develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Efforts to distinguish those at risk for long-term symptoms have identified several neuroanatomical and biological characteristics as well as peritraumatic responses as candidate indicators. Recent advances in analyzing molecular and genetic contributions to risk and data from prospective longitudinal cohort studies have further contributed to our evolving understanding of risk factors for the development of PTSD and longer-term outcomes. This chapter will discuss key findings from research on pre-, peri-, and posttrauma exposure biological contributions to PTSD.