November 10, 2016 – In a given yr, roughly 8 million people within the United States suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The combination of talk therapy and drugs helps many individuals. But this mixture, considered the gold standard for treating the condition, doesn't work for everybody. Four experts described probably the most promising latest treatments currently being investigated. On their list:
Virtual reality exposure therapy. The use of virtual reality is a brand new twist on a variety of treatment called long-term exposure therapy. The traditional form exposes someone with PTSD over time to things or events that they avoid resulting from associated trauma. Some experts say adding the virtual reality component may go even higher.
A pc simulation can recreate smells, sounds and pictures related to the trauma. After the experience, patients discuss it with their therapist.
“You create a scenario in which you help the patient recreate the experience in a controlled environment and address the feelings and thoughts associated with it,” says Dr. Daniella David, chief of psychiatry on the Miami VA Healthcare System. “It helps people.” Process the emotions.”
“It seems more powerful [than exposure therapy alone]says Spencer Eth, MD, director of mental health services at the Miami VA.
However, a recent report found that while the therapy appears promising, there is limited evidence on how well it works. And there's no good study comparing traditional exposure therapy to virtual reality, says Matthew Friedman, MD, PhD, former executive director of the VA National Center for PTSD. Experts say exposure therapy of any kind is best supervised by a trained therapist.
Ketamine. This drug, used as an anesthetic, is being tested as an experimental treatment for depression that has resisted other treatments. It could also help with post-traumatic stress disorder, says Dr. Adriana Feder, associate professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In one study, Feder and colleagues administered ketamine via an IV to people with PTSD. Compared to another anesthetic, midazolam (Versed), treatment was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms 24 hours later. However, the study was small with only 41 patients. According to Feder, the drug can distort the perception of images and sounds and cause a feeling of detachment for a short time.
Prevention. Some experts try to head off post-traumatic stress disorder before it starts. You can accomplish this through the use of medication, talk therapy, or both, soon after someone experiences the trauma. Scientists are studying a variety of drugs, including the high blood pressure drug propranolol, Friedman says. It can temper the emotional aspects of memory. The medicine cannot be taken by everyone, including people with low blood pressure.
Mindfulness. Some experts say mindfulness-based therapy can quell the anxiety and feelings of nervousness that sufferers of PTSD suffer. The approach is now widely accepted to help people without PTSD reduce stress and anxiety. It includes meditation exercises such as sitting and focusing on breathing to help you be “in the moment.”
“What happened happened,” Friedman said. “You can't undo it. The mindfulness approach recognizes this and gives you tools to look at what is happening and process it in a different way.”
Other approaches. Some researchers are looking into magnetic resonance therapy, or MRI, also often called “brain zapping.” A coil delivers a pulsed magnetic field to the brain to “retune” it and its responses. It is just not clear how this may occasionally help control mood and depression. A small clinical trial of this approach is underway.
Researchers have also studied medical marijuana, but individuals with PTSD could also be prone to developing a substance abuse problem, including marijuana, says Eth. Another approach looks at resilient individuals who aren't as impacted by trauma and what they will teach others, Friedman says.
Half of all people within the United States will experience severe trauma during their lifetime, Friedman says. While most don’t develop post-traumatic stress disorder, for many who do, it’s crucial that they’ve a wide range of treatment options available to them, as experts know there isn’t any one-size-fits-all approach that may help everyone.
Although these latest PTSD treatments are promising, they’re all still being studied, experts say. Only a number of patients have been tested and the study results should be repeated before they turn into more common.