Table 6.
Comparison of Study Design and Assay Methodologies: Kim et al. vs. Sah et al. (2014).
| Study | Subjects/Trauma Type | CSF NPY Assays | CSF NPY (pg/ml) Mean ± SE |
Age of Subjects Mean ± SE |
CAPS-IV Score* Mean ± SE |
Medication Use | Smoking Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim et al. (current study) | Male: 13 PTSD 17 TC Trauma type: Multiple |
Radioimmunoassay (RIA) (Euro Diagnostica-ALPCO Diagnostics, Salem, NH). | PTSD: 905.8 ± 20.6 TC: 846.0 ± 16.6 |
PTSD: 40.1 ± 2.57 TC: 35.0 ± 2.78 |
70.4 ± 5.2 (PTSD); 6.8 ± 2.0 (TC) *Average of CAPS-IV (1 month version) at screen and CAPS-IV (1 week version) immediately after LP |
Medication free for > 4 weeks; > 6 weeks for SSRIs with long half-lives. | All non-smokers |
| Sah et al. (2014) | Male: 11 PTSD 14 TC Trauma: Combat; likely other |
Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit (Peninsula Laboratories Inc., Bachem, San Carlos, CA | PTSD: 180 ± 12.6 TC: 258.6 ± 21.6 |
PTSD: 30.7 ± 2.7 TC: 32.1 ± 1.4 |
57.5 ± 4.8 (PTSD) 7.11 ± 2.2 (TC) Assessed the day before the LP |
Medication free for at least 10 disappearance half-lives | PTSD: 7 of 11; TC: 5 of 14. Overnight abstinence before LP. |
PTSD: posttraumatic stress disorder; TC: trauma-exposed control; NPY: neuropeptide Y; CSF: cerebrospinal fluid; LP: lumbar puncture; SSRI: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.