A medication used to treat motor neuron diseases, like Lou Gehrig’s disease, might also have the potential to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly the symptoms linked to suicide attempts, according to a study, “Randomized Controlled Trial of Riluzole Augmentation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Efficacy of a Glutamatergic Modulator for Antidepressant-Resistant Symptoms,” published Oct. 27 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).
Tag: PTSD
Nurse Veteran Applies Lessons from Vietnam to PTSD in Today’s Healthcare Workforce
Joan Furey’s studies of military nurses can educate and guide the treatment of healthcare workers traumatized by COVID-19.
Multiple Paths to Recovery Among Patients With Co-Occurring Alcohol Use and Mental Health Disorders
A study has revealed diverse routes to recovery among people with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders admitted for psychiatric inpatient care, while highlighting that some patients need additional support. Problem drinkers who also have a psychiatric condition — such as major depressive disorder (MDD) — often struggle to sustain long-term recovery following treatment. Mutual health groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can provide an ongoing source of recovery support for alcohol misuse, and involvement with AA is also linked to improvement in depression. However, it was not known how depression and involvement influence drinking during and after inpatient psychiatric treatment, and how they predict recovery. The new study, reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, investigated long-term trajectories of alcohol use, depression, and AA involvement over time among patients with co-occurring diagnoses.
‘Brain fog’ following COVID-19 recovery may indicate PTSD
A new report suggests that lingering “brain fog” and other neurological symptoms after COVID -19 recovery may be due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an effect observed in past human coronavirus outbreaks such as SARS and MERS.
McLean Psychiatrists Available to Discuss Trump’s COVID/Mental Health Connection
Media AdvisoryTrump’s COVID/Mental Health Connection WHAT: With today’s news about President Trump’s positive COVID test, more research to explore what we know about how older adults manage following a COVID diagnosis is crucial. A team from McLean geriatric department have…
People with Lower Biological Response to Standard Stress Task Showed More PTSD Symptoms After COVID-19 Crisis Began
People who did not have a large heart rate response to a stress task surprised researchers later — after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — when they showed more symptoms of PTSD related to the crisis than others who also did the stress task and COVID-19 stress ratings.
California wildfires and COVID-19 pandemic wreak havoc on mental health
Biography : Dr. Josef Ruzek is a clinical psychologist specializing in treatment of post-traumatic stress problems. He currently serves as Director of the Dissemination and Training Division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD. He is…
Elevated Level of a “Hunger” Hormone Leaves Trauma-Exposed Adolescents at Higher Risk of Developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Research suggests that acyl-ghrelin is an especially predictive biomarker of PTSD
STUDY SUGGESTS DRUG OVERDOSE LINKED TO PTSD
Drug overdoses are psychologically traumatic events that can lead to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study focused on female sex workers in Baltimore City led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Traditional PTSD Therapy Doesn’t Trigger Drug Relapse
Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that behavior therapy that exposes people to memories of their trauma doesn’t cause relapses of opioid or other drug use, and that PTSD severity and emotional problems have decreased after the first therapy session.
Children Who Witness Intimate Partner Violence Benefit from Joint Community and Law Enforcement Intervention
The Child Trauma Response Team, an innovative police and community-based organization partnership, demonstrated success at screening and treating children for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) immediately following incidents of intimate partner violence, according to a Rutgers-led study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Laughing gas may bring relief to veterans suffering from PTSD, new study suggests
A small pilot study provides an early glimpse of how some veterans struggling with PTSD may benefit from one simple, inexpensive treatment involving nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.
This spring they were heroes, but summer may be cruel for health professionals, experts say
An outpouring of public support may have helped maintain the spirits and well-being of health care workers as they faced the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. But as the salutes fade into memory, and COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise across the United States, mental health experts are worried about the health care workers-turned-heroes who were so much in the spotlight a few months ago.
June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day: Know the Symptoms and Risk Factors for acute stress and PTSD During COVID-19
Loyola Medicine Clinical Psychologist Elizabeth Simmons believes it’s important for everyone–especially those at high risk for extreme stress and trauma during to the COVID-19 pandemic (front line health care workers, essential workers and COVID-19 survivors)–to be aware of the symptoms of acute stress…
Vets Walking Pets: Strolls with Shelter Dogs May Reduce PTSD Symptoms in Military Veterans
About 6 to 8 million dogs end up in shelters in the U.S. each year. Researchers worked with two no-kill shelters on a study examining the effects of walking with a shelter dog on psychological and physiological stress indicators in military veterans. Results confirm the importance of the human-animal bond and provide evidence that walking with a shelter dog may affect psychological and physiological stress indicators in veterans – with particular potential benefits for those with an increase in PTSD symptom severity.
Nurses are on the Frontlines of COVID-19 but Their Expertise Remains Missing from Policy Decisions
Nurses’ perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic are unique and essential to informing decisions made by federal leaders, and they should be included in key decision-making groups, urges the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
The Following News Release Contains Potentially Disturbing Content: Trigger Warnings Fail to Help and May Even Harm
New research suggests that trigger warnings have little or no benefit in cushioning the blow of potentially disturbing content and, in some cases, may make things worse.
Expression of Certain Genes May Affect Vulnerability to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Highlights In a recent study, genes were predicted to be expressed at different levels in the tissues of individuals with PTSD compared with those without PTSD. Individuals with PTSD tended to have a lower expression of a gene called SNRNP35…
Editorial: Pandemic Puts Spotlight on Front-line Clinicians
In “A Tribute to Frontline Health Care Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Annette Bourgault, editor of Critical Care Nurse, offers her personal and professional appreciation for the dedicated clinicians in acute and critical care.
Case Western Reserve team studying ‘unprecedented’ levels of trauma caused by COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic could inflict long-lasting emotional trauma on an unprecedented global scale, leaving millions grappling with debilitating psychological disorders, according to a new study commissioned by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University.
Scientists Trace Path from PTSD to Heart Disease
A new study helps explain why people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face a higher risk of heart disease at an earlier age than people without PTSD.
Aussie veterans find new verve for life through art therapy
Aussie veterans could be afforded a new lease on life as ground-breaking research from the University of South Australia shows how art therapy is transforming the wellbeing and mental health of service men and women diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
$1M to study treatment for first responders with PTSD
The randomized control trial will focus on the effectiveness of a cognitive remediation strategy called Goal Management Training that is aimed at improving cognitive functioning among PSP with PTSD. Researchers will examine changes in everyday functional outcomes, like the ability to return to work, but also in brain structure and brain function using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Early treatment for PTSD after a disaster has lasting effects
In 1988, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Armenian city of Spitak. The temblor destroyed cities and is estimated to have killed between 25,000 and 35,000 people, many of whom were schoolchildren.
UNH Researchers Find Synchronization of Memory Cells Critical For Learning and Forming Memories
Researchers at the University of New Hampshire found that the neurons involved in Pavlovian learning shift their behavior and become more synchronized when a memory is being formed – a finding that helps better understand memory mechanisms and provides clues for the development of future therapies for memory-related diseases like dementia, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
STRICT ADHERENCE TO TRADITIONAL MASCULINITY ASSOCIATED WITH MORE SEVERE PTSD IN VETS
To help service members perform better in the field, military training emphasizes the importance of certain traits associated with traditional masculinity, including suppression of emotion and self-reliance. But when veterans return home, strict adherence to these traits can become detrimental, leading to more severe post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and making it more difficult to treat, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Zimmerli Art Museum Offers New Tools for Visitors with Sensory-Related Disorders
The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University-New Brunswick is the first art museum in New Jersey to offer specialized tools to help visitors in the autism spectrum enjoy their visit without stressful sensory overload.
ICU Survivors Commonly Experience Job Loss after Critical Illness, Study Confirms
National attention has been drawn to the plight of patients who have experienced the unintended side effects of prolonged ICU care such as memory loss and muscle weakness. Now, a research team led by UC San Diego have evaluated the employment impacts to ICU patients, with concerning findings.
UCI researcher receives 2019 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award to study learning and memory
University of California, Irvine researcher Kevin Beier, PhD, assistant professor of physiology and biophysics in the School of Medicine, received a 2019 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award to study learning and memory in an effort to discover new treatments for behavioral symptoms of chronic stress and depression. Beier will receive $1.5M in funding over five years.
Nerve Stimulation + Repetitive Sounds Help Improve Hearing
Combining seizure-preventing electrical stimulation with repetitive musical tones improves processing of sounds in the brain, according to new research. The discovery may provide relief for chronic ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and aid communication skills in people with autism. The first-of-its-kind study, published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurophysiology (JNP), was chosen as an APSselect article for August.