Invisible wounds: Suturing the gap between the neurobiology, conventional and emerging therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder.
Xénia Gonda, Péter Döme, Berta Erdelyi-Hamza, Sandor Krause, Livia Priyanka Elek, Samata R Sharma, Frank I. Tarazi
European Neuropsychopharmacology August 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.05.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | PTSD |
| Keywords | Neurobiology Pharmacotherapy Psychedelics Psychotherapy Trauma |
| Key findings | Argues that PTSD, affecting an estimated 25% of people exposed to acute or chronic trauma, remains poorly understood neurobiologically and inadequately treated by current therapies, which have limited efficacy, durability, and adherence. Proposes that understanding PTSD's neurobiological and neuroanatomical underpinnings and developing emerging options such as psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and neuromodulation could improve treatment and have wider applications in other trauma-related neuropsychiatric disorders. |
Abstract
A sharp increase in the prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has occurred due to the traumatic nature of the persisting COVID-19 global pandemic. PTSD is estimated to occur in up to 25% of individuals following exposure to acute or chronic trauma, and the pandemic has inflicted both forms of trauma on much of the population through both direct physiological attack as well as an inherent upheaval to our sense of safety. However, despite significant advances in our ability to define and apprehend the effects of traumatic events, the neurobiology and neuroanatomical circuitry of PTSD, one of the most severe consequences of traumatic exposure, remains poorly understood. Furthermore, the current psychotherapies or pharmacological options for treatment have limited efficacy, durability, and low adherence rates. Consequently, there is a great need to better understand the neurobiology and neuroanatomy of PTSD and develop novel therapies that extend beyond the current limited treatments. This review summarizes the neurobiological and neuroanatomical underpinnings of PTSD and discusses the conventional and emerging psychotherapies, pharmacological and combined psychopharmacological therapies, including the use of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies and neuromodulatory interventions, for the improved treatment of PTSD and the potential for their wider applications in other neuropsychiatric disorders resulting from traumatic exposure.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic Psychiatry's Brave New World. | 2020 | Review | |
| Reviewing the Potential of Psychedelics for the Treatment of PTSD | 2020 | Review | |
| Novel psychopharmacological therapies for psychiatric disorders: psilocybin and MDMA. | 2016 | Review | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Are memory reconsolidation and fear extinction underlying mechanisms? | 2018 | Review | |
| Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. | 2016 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- MDMA-Based Psychotherapy in Treatment-Resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Brief Narrative Overview of Current Evidence Diseases November 3, 2023
- Premise, promise and challenges of MDMA assisted therapy for PTSD European Neuropsychopharmacology February 15, 2023
- Trauma and Remembering: From Neuronal Circuits to Molecules Life October 26, 2022
- MDMA-Based Psychotherapy in Treatment-Resistant Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Brief Overview of Current Evidence Preprints.org
Cites 16
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nature Medicine June 1, 2021
- Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine for Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder JAMA Psychiatry April 16, 2014
- Psilocybin-Induced Decrease in Amygdala Reactivity Correlates with Enhanced Positive Mood in Healthy Volunteers Biological Psychiatry April 26, 2014
- Reviewing the Potential of Psychedelics for the Treatment of PTSD The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology March 12, 2020
and 11 more in the library