Roles of the Serotoninergic System in Coping with Traumatic Stress

Abstract

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is characterized by substantial physiological and/or psychological distress following exposure to trauma. Intrusive fear memories often lead to persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, detachment from others, irritability and sleep disturbances. Different key structures in the brain are involved with fear conditioning, fear extinction and coping. The limbic system, namely, the amygdala complex in close relationship with the hippocampal hub and the prefrontal cortex play central roles in the integration and in coping with fear memories. Serotonin acting both as a neurotransmitter and as a neurohormone participates in regulating the normal and pathological activity of these anatomic structures. We review the literature analyzing how the different actors of the serotoninergic system (5-HT receptors, transporters and anabolic and catabolic pathways) may be involved in regulating the sensitivity to highly stressful events and hopefully coping with them.