Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by symptoms of re-experience, avoidance, and hyperarousal that can arise immediately or many years after exposure to a traumatic event and injury. Although extensive research has been done over the past 30 years, the etiology of PTSD remains largely unknown. Several neurobiological systems have been implicated in the pathophysiology and vulnerability for developing PTSD; however, first-line pharmacotherapies are limited. Less than 30% achieve full remission, and even then, approved pharmacological treatments often take weeks for therapeutic effect. This article aims to review the pathophysiology of PTSD within multiple neurobiological systems and how these mechanisms are used as pharmacologic targets of treatment, as well as their potential for future targets of intervention.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 31858 |
| Journal | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2016 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2016 Benjamin Kelmendi et al.
Funding
Dr. Abdallah has served on advisory boards for Genen-tech. He is an employee of the Yale School of Medicine and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation, the VA National Center for PTSD, the Department of Defense, the American Psychiatric Foundation, and the Robert E. Leet and Clara Guthrie Patterson Trust.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| VA National Center for PTSD | |
| National Institutes of Health (NIH) | |
| U.S. Department of Defense | |
| National Institute of Mental Health | K23MH101498 |
| Brain and Behavior Research Foundation | |
| American Psychiatric Foundation | |
| Yale University, School of Medicine |
Keywords
- GABA
- PTSD
- cannabinoid
- glutamate
- ketamine
- noradrenergic
- pharmacology
- serotonin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
