There may be more to post traumatic stress disorder than meets the eye. According to new studies, there may be actual genetic changes that occur in individuals with the condition. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and reported by Science News, indicates that there are definite genetic differences between people living with post traumatic disorder and overall healthy individuals. Despite this comparison, however, the study did not resolve how or whether these genetic changes impact the condition.
Filed under PTSD research by on May 26th, 2010. Comment. 
It looks like the drug known as Ecstasy is making a comeback. But wait – I don’t mean in underground clubs or at college parties, but rather in the unlikely spot of a health care clinic. A new study is revealing that use of Ecstasy (otherwise known as MDMA), in addition to talk therapy, may relieve some of the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. We have previously discussed how marijuana may also help people suffering from the condition, but now it appears that Ecstasy may also provide similar therapeutic benefits.
Read more on MDMA may be a viable option for treating PTSD, research suggests…
Filed under Alternative PTSD treatment, PTSD research by on Apr 28th, 2010. Comment.
It seems that we discuss the impact of PTSD on “regular” individuals less than we discuss how PTSD affects veterans. Additionally, it is not often that the treatment of these ordinary citizens possibly leads to an eventual treatment for our troops (it is usually the other way around). But anyone can experience an event or series of events that causes them to develop post traumatic stress disorder. The Chicago Tribune recently published an article detailing how one woman was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after she was a victim of an armed robbery. The experience left her battling anxiety and panic attacks, eventually leading her to drop out of school and gain weight despite therapy. She finally went to Dr. Eugene Lipov with Advanced Pain Centers in Illinois. He gave her an injection of a local anesthetic, bupivicane, and her disorder improved significantly. Now, Dr. Lipov is attempting to use this unique treatment option on a broad range of post traumatic stress sufferers, including veterans.
Filed under Alternative PTSD treatment, PTSD research by on Apr 16th, 2010. Comment.
Wouldn’t it be nice to stop a disease or chronic mental disorder before it even began? That is a difficult task when most diseases and chronic, disabling conditions have no specific cause. Many studies opine as to various factors that can contribute to a condition, but more often than not, researchers cannot pinpoint why certain people develop a certain disorder. One of the most currently discussed conditions is post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). With more and more soldiers serving multiple tours in combat areas such as Afghanistan and Iraq, the number of those diagnosed with the crippling condition has skyrocketed. Even the number of people with PTSD who have not served in the armed services has increased. Most doctors can point to a stressful event or events that triggered the onset of the condition, but after this circumstance occurs there is little that can be done to halt the symptoms.
Filed under PTSD research by on Mar 12th, 2010. Comment.
A new finding by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco may alter how post traumatic stress disorder is diagnosed and perhaps even treated. The study, published in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, reveals that there is a particular portion of the brain’s hippocampus, which is related to memory, that is significantly smaller in patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder than in those who do not suffer from the condition. Because of the hippocampus’s ability for developing, storing, and recalling memories, it is of utmost importance to the study of post traumatic stress disorder.
Filed under PTSD research by on Mar 5th, 2010. Comment.
Although any traumatic event can trigger post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), most of those who suffer with the condition are military veterans. With the number of conflicts that the United States has been party of in the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in those military personnel who are diagnosed with the disorder. The military and the Department of Veteran Affairs have been developing new treatment options across the country to adequately keep up with the demand for mental health services. Surprisingly, however, many veterans are not completing the full course of necessary treatment according to a study published in the most current issue of the Journal of Traumatic Stress.
Read more on Many veterans diagnosed with PTSD failing to seek adequate treatment…
Filed under PTSD research, ptsd treatment by on Feb 22nd, 2010. Comment.
In the last post, it was mentioned that the military is using a new type of virtual reality therapy to address the needs of service members suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Now, researchers from Oxford University have found that playing video games, such as Tetris, may alleviate the flashbacks associated with the disorder. The researchers and psychologists hope that this preliminary research will help to thwart flashbacks immediately after trauma. This would be helpful because current treatments can only be administered after a person has actually been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.
Read more on Video games may help alleviate flashbacks and trauma associated with PTSD…
Filed under PTSD research, PTSD therapy by on Jan 25th, 2010. Comment.
Although the exact reason behind PTSD is still largely unknown, two recent studies suggest that there is a definite chemical alteration to the brain following a traumatic event or events, which leads to post traumatic stress disorder. If these studies and further research substantially conclude that a chemical change can be seen in patients suffering from PTSD, it may open up the possibility that the disease can be diagnosed, treated, and possibly predicted through blood tests and scans. This may also further add weight to the argument that PTSD is a legitimate basis for claiming SSDI benefits.
Read more on Further Evidence Points to Brain’s Chemical Change in Patient’s with PTSD…
Filed under PTSD research by on Dec 21st, 2009. Comment.
