Neurobiological Correlates of PTSD Chronicity: Integrating Stress Biomarkers and Brain Morphometric Changes

Conclusions: The chronicity of PTSD substantially modulates both biochemical and structural brain profiles. Early PTSD reflects acute neuroinflammation and impaired neuroprotection, whereas long-term PTSD is dominated by progressive neurodegeneration associated with chronic dysregulation of the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Integrating biomarker profiles with MRI-derived measures provides a robust framework for identifying markers of disease progression and for developing phase-specific therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating atrophy, modulating stress-response systems, and supporting neuroplasticity.