Research Shows Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Is Preventable

Research Shows Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Is Preventable

A recent study showed that nearly one fifth of all troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The study was published in the journal of Science Translational Medicine and showed how mice that were traumatized by being restrained for a prolonged period of time had their PTSD symptoms prevented by a drug that interferes with the brain receptors thought to provoke fear.

Researchers say that a drug similar to the one administered to mice can one day prevent PTSD symptoms in soldiers that are returning from combat but can also help other victims of stressful situations.

To determine the genes that make some people more susceptible to PTSD symptoms than other, researchers taped mice to wooden boards for two hours and later killed them alongside other mice that weren't subjected to any type of abnormal stress. They analyzed the internal organs and cells of both mice and found that a gene called OPRL1 produces a receptor for a chemical called nociceptin.

They activated that receptor with a drug to check the effect it might have on PTSD and found out that it did help relieve some symptoms of the terrible affliction.

The dilemma the post-traumatic stress disorder treatment might face in future is whether blocking the way the brain deals with fear is a good thing.

Posted by George Daniels on Saturday June 08 2013, 3:01 AM EST. Ref: LA Times. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0