41 studies whose primary subject is PTSD were published in 2018, up from 31 in 2017. Newest first. Back to the PTSD overview
December 7, 2018
MDMA is a powerful empathogen that works by releasing 5-HT It was rediscovered in the 1970s as a useful drug to break down anger and hostility in couples counseling Later it started to be used in the “rave” scene and its name was changed to ecstasy Recently, trials have shown it to have special efficacy in the treatment of PTSD that has proved resistant to conventional treatments Brain imaging...
The Lancet Psychiatry December 1, 2018 Sanford Nidich, Paul J Mills, Maxwell Rainforth et al.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex and difficult-to-treat disorder, affecting 10-20% of military veterans. Previous research has raised the question of whether a non-trauma-focused treatment can be as effective as trauma exposure therapy in reducing PTSD symptoms. This study aimed to compare the non-trauma-focused practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) with prolonged...
Journal of Psychopharmacology December 1, 2018 Marcela Ot'Alora G, Jim Grigsby, Bruce Poulter et al. 232 citations
Posttraumatic stress disorder often does not resolve after conventional psychotherapies or pharmacotherapies. Pilot studies have reported that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) combined with psychotherapy reduces posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. This pilot dose response trial assessed efficacy and safety of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy across multiple therapy teams. Twenty-eight...
Nature and Science of Sleep November 26, 2018 Ali A El-Solh
Nightmares are considered the hallmark of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the characteristics of these distressing dreams may vary with the type of traumatic event, the pathophysiology exposes central dysfunction of brain structures at the level of the hippocampus, amygdala, and locus coeruleus, modulated by neurochemical imbalance in nor-adrenergic, dopaminergic, and serotonin...
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine November 15, 2018 Katherine E Miller, Andrea L Jamison, Sasha Gala et al.
Study objectives: Understanding nightmares (NM) and disturbing dreams (DD) in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been limited by the unpredictability of these events and their nonappearance in the sleep laboratory. This study used intensive, longitudinal, ambulatory methods to predict morning reports of NM/DD in veterans in whom chronic, severe PTSD was diagnosed. Methods: Participants...
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy November 1, 2018 Seung Suk Kang, Christopher R Erbes, Greg J Lamberty et al.
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a mental technique using a mantra to facilitate meditation. TM has a potential for treating symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but its clinical efficacy remains to be clarified. This pilot study evaluated the acceptability, preliminary effectiveness, and neurophysiology of TM for veterans with PTSD. Twenty-nine veterans (20.7% female) were...
Current Psychiatry Reports October 11, 2018 Scott H Waltman, David Shearer, Bret A Moore
Post-traumatic nightmares (PTN) are a common and enduring problem for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other clinical presentations. PTN cause significant distress, are associated with large costs, and are an independent risk factor for suicide. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options for PTN exist. A previous review in this journal demonstrated that...
Perspectives In Psychiatric Care October 2018 Matthew J Begola, Jonathan S Dowben
Due to the intractability, at times, in the treatment of PTSD, clinicians and researchers continue to explore different options for treatment. This article discusses the renewed interest in hallucinogens for such treatment.
American Journal of Psychiatry October 1, 2018 Jill E Bormann, Steven R Thorp, Eric Smith et al.
Previous studies suggest that group "mantram" (sacred word) repetition therapy, a non-trauma-focused complementary therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), may be an effective treatment for veterans. The authors compared individually delivered mantram repetition therapy and another non-trauma-focused treatment for PTSD. The study was a two-site, open-allocation, blinded-assessment...
Journal of experimental neuroscience September 19, 2018 David E. Olson
Neural plasticity-the ability to change and adapt in response to stimuli-is an essential aspect of healthy brain function and, in principle, can be harnessed to promote recovery from a wide variety of brain disorders. Many neuropsychiatric diseases including mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders arise from an inability to weaken and/or strengthen pathologic and beneficial circuits,...
Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences September 15, 2018 Abdollah Omidi, Sajedeh Hamidian 6 citations
Background: Comorbidity of anxiety and mood disorders is rather common, making the treatment of each disorder more difficult. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders with a high degree of association with depression; PTSD-depression comorbidity can significantly affect the quality of life of the ones affected. Hence, using the best way to deal with each of these...
The Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology September 14, 2018 Chadi G. Abdallah, Lynnette A. Averill, Teddy J. Akiki et al.
New approaches to the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are needed to address the reported crisis in PTSD drug development. These new approaches may require the field to move beyond a narrow fear-based perspective, as fear-based medications have not yet demonstrated compelling efficacy. Antidepressants, particularly recent rapid-acting antidepressants, exert complex effects...
Oxford Medicine Online September 1, 2018 Thomas A. Mellman
The Chapter reviews two long standing concerns of sleep research in PTSD. The first is characterizing dysregulations of arousal that manifest in relation to sleep including disturbances of sleep initiation, maintenance, and depth. The other is characterizing nightmare disturbances in PTSD and establishing the role of the neurophysiological substrate of dreams, rapid eye movement sleep (REMS),...
Sleep Medicine Clinics September 2018 Ihori Kobayashi, Mary Katherine Howell
After exposure to traumatic stress, women are at greater risk than men for developing symptoms of some psychiatric disorders, including insomnia and nightmares. Sleep disturbance is one of the most refractory symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Women were included in a few studies that examined efficacy of psychological or pharmacologic interventions for trauma-related sleep...
Journal of Clinical Psychology September 1, 2018 Barbara L Niles, DeAnna L Mori, Craig P. Polizzi et al.
To systematically review outcomes from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mind-body treatments for PTSD. Inclusion criteria based on guidelines for assessing risk of bias were used to evaluate articles identified through electronic literature searches. Twenty-two RCTs met inclusion standards. In most of the nine mindfulness and six yoga studies, significant between-group effects were found...
The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update September 1, 2018
Military veterans and public safety officers with chronic post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced a reduction in symptoms when the psychedelic drug 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) was given in conjunction with psychotherapy, a randomized trial has found. Doses of 75 mg and 125 mg, each given in two experimental sessions spaced 3 to 5 weeks apart, were more effective than a...
BJPsych Open August 30, 2018 Deborah Wearne, Guy Curtis, Winston Choy et al.
Background: Research has supported a model of dissociation mediating the experience of hearing voices in traumatised individuals. Aims: To further understand this model by examining subtypes of the dissociative experience involved in trauma-intrusive hallucinations. Method: The study involved four hospitals, 11 psychiatrists and 69 participants assessed using the Psychotic Symptoms Rating...
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine August 30, 2018 Kaitlin A. Harding, Tracy L. Simpson, David J. Kearney 19 citations
Objectives: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are highly comorbid conditions associated with reduced health-related quality of life. Comorbid prevalence is especially high among veterans, ranging from 23% to 51%, but there is limited research on integrative treatments. Design: To improve treatment of comorbid PTSD and IBS, this study examined the impact of...
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry August 30, 2018 Lanwei Hou, Yirui Qi, Hongwei Sun et al.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly associated with concurrent anxiety and depression symptoms, and reduce the expression of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) which promotes the proliferation and survival of neurons. The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 1(HCN1) could be inhibited by the ketamine, a drug to alleviate depression and anxiety, and...
Journal of Traumatic Stress August 1, 2018 Geneviève Belleville, Mylène Dubé-Frenette, Andréanne Rousseau
Sleep disturbances are common among sexual assault victims with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for PTSD does not directly address sleep-related symptoms. Trauma-related sleep disturbances are associated with more impairment and contribute to the maintenance of PTSD. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of a combination of CBT and nightmare...