Post Traumatic Stress Disorder News and Research

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Combining vagus nerve stimulation with therapy provides lasting PTSD relief

In a first-of-its-kind clinical study, scientists at The University of Texas at Dallas and Baylor University Medical Center showed that patients with treatment-resistant PTSD were symptom-free up to six months after completing traditional therapy paired with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

5 May 2025

Dopamine circuit helps the brain unlearn fear

Dangers come but dangers also go and when they do, the brain has an "all-clear" signal that teaches it to extinguish its fear.

28 Apr 2025

Transcendental meditation greatly reduces PTSD symptoms, meta-analysis shows

Just published is the third new study showing that TM is highly effective in reducing stress in a wide array of populations.

21 Apr 2025

Unlocking the secrets of synaptic plasticity during learning

How do we learn something new? How do tasks at a new job, lyrics to the latest hit song or directions to a friend's house become encoded in our brains?

17 Apr 2025

Study: Climate trauma can have lasting effects on cognitive function

A new study from University of California San Diego suggests that climate trauma - such as experiencing a devastating wildfire - can have lasting effects on cognitive function.

16 Apr 2025

Police officers at higher risk of traumatic brain injuries and PTSD

Police officers are more than twice as likely to have traumatic brain injuries compared to the general population. Officers who incur these injuries while on duty face more than double the risk of developing complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

11 Apr 2025

Mental health disorders more prevalent in people with criminal legal histories

A new national epidemiological survey provides a demographic and diagnostic picture of people living with mental ill health in prison, those with criminal legal involvement in the last year, and those with no criminal legal history in the last year-finding significantly higher rates of five mental health conditions in incarcerated individuals and individuals with recent criminal legal history.

9 Apr 2025

Male-female pairs of mice show resilience in coordinating fear responses

When faced with a potential threat, mice often freeze in place. Moreover, when two animals are together, they typically freeze at the same time, matching each other's periods of immobility.

9 Apr 2025

Trump’s DEI undoing undermines hard-won accommodations for disabled people

For years, White House press conferences included sign language interpreters for the deaf.

3 Apr 2025

Emotional fear acts as a barrier to constructive communication among partners with PTSD

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms often have trouble communicating and resolving relationship difficulties with their romantic partners, according to previous research by Steffany Fredman, associate professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, and others.

1 Apr 2025

Caregivers of cancer patients face high rates of PTSD

Every year, millions of family members and friends provide care for loved ones undergoing cancer treatment, often at great emotional cost.

19 Mar 2025

Study: Witnessing trauma triggers unique brain changes

For years, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been studied primarily in people who experience trauma firsthand.

18 Mar 2025

Wildlife and forest walks help alleviate PTSD symptoms in veterans

A new study published in the journal Human-Animal Interactions has revealed that exposure to wildlife and forest walks can help ease the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in US war veterans.

6 Mar 2025

To patients, parents, and caregivers, proposed Medicaid cuts are a personal affront

Cynthia Williams is furious with U.S. House Republicans willing to slash Medicaid, the government-run insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities.

6 Mar 2025

UQ clinical study seeks participants with PTSD and complex PTSD

University of Queensland researchers are seeking participants diagnosed with PTSD and complex PTSD for a clinical study aimed at improving understanding of its impacts on the brain and overall well-being.

3 Mar 2025

Study explores how cultural environment affects PTSD and hormonal responses

According to the World Health Organization, about 3.9% of the world's population has had post-traumatic stress disorder at some point during their lives. That number is higher in the United States, at about 6%.

2 Mar 2025

$4.9 million grant aims to enhance PTSD treatment using MDMA and psychotherapy

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and their collaborators at Emory University have received a $4.9 million grant aimed at significantly improving treatment and recovery rates for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

27 Feb 2025

Routine psychological screening can improve maternal cardiovascular health

Integrating routine psychological health screening and treatment during and after pregnancy may reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and improve maternal cardiovascular health, according to a new scientific statement published today in a Go Red for Women spotlight issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Feb 2025

With RFK Jr. in charge, supplement makers see chance to cash in

Last fall, before being named the senior U.S. health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Trump administration would liberate Americans from the FDA's "aggressive suppression" of vitamins, dietary supplements, and other substances — ending the federal agency's "war on public health," as he put it.

25 Feb 2025

Direct connection found between memory and sensory processing centers in brain

A newly identified part of a brain circuit mixes sensory information, memories, and emotions to tell whether things are familiar or new—and important or just "background noise."

19 Feb 2025