Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) News and Research

Latest Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) News and Research

Hormones in children's saliva may indicate trauma from bullying

Hormones in children's saliva may be a biological indicator of the trauma kids undergo when they are chronically bullied by peers, according to researchers who say biological markers can aid in the early recognition and intervention of long-term psychological effects on youth.

16 May 2007

Researchers tackle traumatic brain injury

Researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) are pursuing efforts to find new ways to prevent and to treat the increasing numbers of combat troops who are suffering from injuries due to traumatic brain injury (TBI).

11 May 2007

VA should revise its methods for evaluating post-traumatic stress disorder

To ensure more consistent and appropriate disability compensation for veterans, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs to revise how it evaluates former military personnel for service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and determines the payment amounts they merit, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council.

9 May 2007

Traumatic events common in children but do not typically result in post-traumatic stress symptoms

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a unique psychiatric diagnosis because it requires an initiating event, such as war, rape, natural disaster or serious illness, according to background information in the article.

8 May 2007

Intense trauma can have long lasting effects on the brain and behavior of healthy people without causing a clinical disorder

Exposure to trauma may create enough changes in the brain to sensitize people to overreact to an innocuous facial gesture years later, even in people who don't have a stress-related disorder, says new research.

8 May 2007

Gender, ethnic differences may hamper eating disorder diagnosis

Eating disorders may be overlooked in some groups - boys and some ethnicities - by physicians accustomed to diagnosing the condition in white teenage girls, say researchers at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

2 May 2007

Prazosin shows promise for post traumatic stress disorder sleep disturbances

For sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), sleep disturbances are among the most treatment-resistant symptoms and can lead to drug and alcohol abuse and even suicide.

19 Apr 2007

Prazosin drug helps posttraumatic stress disorder nightmares

A generic drug already used by millions of Americans for high blood pressure and prostate problems has been found to improve sleep and lessen trauma nightmares in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

12 Apr 2007

Severe stress can damage a child's brain

According to researchers in the U.S. children who suffer severe stress may also suffer damage to their brains.

5 Mar 2007

Posttraumatic stress disorder may increase the risk of coronary heart disease in older men

A higher level of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder may increase the risk of coronary heart disease in older men, according to a report in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

2 Jan 2007

Guanfacine no more effective than a placebo

Guanfacine, a medication commonly prescribed to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, is no more effective than a placebo, according to a study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

2 Dec 2006

Women are diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder more than men

Males experience more traumatic events on average than do females, yet females are more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to a review of 25 years of research reported in the November issue of Psychological Bulletin, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

20 Nov 2006

Distress, psychiatric syndromes, and impairment of function in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer

Almost half of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients are found to have clinically significant emotional distress or symptoms of psychiatric disorders before treatment is begun, according to a new study published in the December 15, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

13 Nov 2006

How the brain resolves emotional conflict

Daily life requires that people cope with distracting emotions--from the basketball player who must make a crucial shot amidst a screaming crowd, to a salesman under pressure delivering an important pitch to a client.

21 Sep 2006

Anticipation plays a powerful role in human memory

Psychologists have long known that memories of disturbing emotional events - such as an act of violence or the unexpected death of a loved one - are more vivid and deeply imprinted in the brain than mundane recollections of everyday matters.

4 Sep 2006

Long-reaching damage of the tsunami on mental health

The December 2004 tsunami which devastated the coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and many other countries has left behind more than just untold damage to the environment, property and communities.

2 Aug 2006

Substantial burden of PTSD among people who experience a disaster

In the year after a hurricane, tornado, terrorist attack or other natural or man-made disaster, 30 to 40 percent of adults who were directly affected may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a University of Michigan researcher.

8 Jun 2006

Severe body image concerns under-recognized in teens

Adolescents with negative body image concerns are more likely to be depressed, anxious, and suicidal than those without intense dissatisfaction over their appearance, even when compared to adolescents with other psychiatric illnesses.

7 Jun 2006

SSRIs most effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder

A variety of medications can help reduce the core symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as reduce associated depression and disability, but selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) should be considered as first line agents as there is most evidence showing that these can be effective.

25 Jan 2006

Long-term stress can impair short-term memory

Researchers believe that this occurs because constant stress affects an area of the brain necessary for learning and memory, and the underlying mechanisms for this may also be to blame in more serious ailments, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe depression.

15 Dec 2005