Current neuropharmacology
January 1, 2024
Michel Sabé, Chaomei Chen, Wissam El-Hage et al.
25 citations
A scientometric analysis of 42,170 publications on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from 1945 to 2022 identified four major research trends: war veterans and refugees, treatment of PTSD/neuroimaging, evidence syntheses, and somatic symptoms of PTSD. The largest cluster focused on evidence synthesis for genetic predisposition and environmental exposures leading to PTSD. War-related trauma research has shifted from battlefield in-person exposure to drone operator trauma and is being outpaced by civilian trauma research, including the COVID-19 pandemic, postpartum, and grief disorder. Recent trends show a burst in PTSD treatment research involving Mhealth, virtual reality, and psychedelic drugs. The USA dominates collaboration networks, with a recent surge of publications from China. Compared to other psychiatric disorders, there is a lack of high-quality randomized controlled trials for pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments.
The Journal of clinical psychiatry
April 2, 2025
Adriana Feder, Oneysha Brown, Sarah B Rutter et al.
Combining six ketamine infusions with a brief exposure-based psychotherapy, written exposure therapy (WET), produced large and durable reductions in PTSD symptoms for patients with chronic, severe PTSD. In an open-label trial, 13 of 14 patients completed treatment. PTSD symptom severity, measured by the CAPS-5, dropped from an average of 41.6 before treatment to 20.8 at 12 weeks, a large-magnitude improvement. Nine patients (69%) were treatment responders, and eight (61.5%) maintained improvement up to six months. The authors suggest the combined treatment may be effective but call for larger randomized controlled trials to confirm efficacy and synergy.
Clinical psychology & psychotherapy
January 1, 2025
Hun Kang, Ian C Fischer, Peter J Na et al.
Among a nationally representative sample of 4,069 U.S. military veterans, average mindfulness scores were 5.02 out of 6, with 68.6% reporting high mindfulness. Lower dysphoric arousal was the strongest correlate of mindfulness, followed by fewer somatic symptoms, higher grit, and lower symptoms of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Secure attachment and social support moderated the link between somatic symptoms and mindfulness. Mindfulness was independently and positively associated with mental, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning.