Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:266-268
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
Behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to sodium lactate infusion in subjects with posttraumatic stress disorder
CF Jensen, TW Keller, ER Peskind, ME McFall, RC Veith, D Martin, CW Wilkinson and MA Raskind
Psychiatry Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.
OBJECTIVE: Sodium lactate infusion has induced flashbacks accompanied by
panic attacks in male combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and concurrent panic disorder. This study addressed whether sodium
lactate induces flashbacks or other intrusive PTSD symptoms in PTSD
patients free of concurrent panic disorder. METHOD: Behavioral,
cardiovascular, catecholamine, and cortisol responses to infusion of 0.5 M
sodium lactate were compared among seven subjects with PTSD without panic
disorder, seven subjects with panic disorder only, and seven healthy
subjects. RESULTS: Six of the seven PTSD subjects but no panic disorder or
healthy subjects reported flashbacks or other intrusive PTSD symptoms
during lactate infusion. Flashbacks were accompanied by substantial anxiety
symptoms. Cortisol levels were low in the PTSD subjects. CONCLUSIONS:
Sodium lactate induces flashbacks in persons with PTSD without comorbid
panic disorder. The relationship between anxiety responses accompanying a
PTSD flashback and those in a panic attack remains unclear.
