Gut feeling: Research examines link between stomach bacteria, PTSD Could bacteria in your gut be used to cure or prevent neurological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or even depression? Two researchers think that’s a strong possibility. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Role of Pre-Morbid Factors and Exposure to Blast Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Post-Traumatic Stress in United States Military Personnel.
Role of Pre-Morbid Factors and Exposure to Blast Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Post-Traumatic Stress in United States Military Personnel.
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Role of Pre-Morbid Factors and Exposure to Blast Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Post-Traumatic Stress in United States Military Personnel.
J Neurotrauma. 2016 Mar 30;
Authors: Manners JL, Forsten RD, Kotwal RS, Elbin RJ, Collins MW, Kontos AP
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), the signature injury of the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is a prevalent and potentially debilitating condition that is associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress/post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS/PTSD). Prior mTBI, severity and type of injury (blast vs. non-blast), and baseline psychiatric illness are thought to impact mTBI outcomes. It is unclear if the severity of pre-morbid PTS/PTSD is a risk factor of post-injury levels of PTS and mTBI symptoms. The objective of the study was to examine predictors of post-injury PTS/PTSD, including pre-morbid PTS symptoms, and physical and cognitive symptoms in the sub-acute phase (1 week-3 months) following an acute mTBI. A retrospective review of medical records was performed of 276 servicemen assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command referred for mTBI evaluation between December 2009 and March 2011. Post-Concussion Symptom Scale and PTSD Checklist scores were captured pre- and post-injury. A total of 276 records were reviewed. Pre-morbid and post-injury data were available for 91% (251/276). Of the 54% (136/251) of personnel with mTBI, 29% (39/136) had positive radiology findings and 11% (15/136) met criteria for clinical PTS symptoms at baseline. Logistic regression analysis found baseline PTS symptoms predicted personnel who met clinical levels of PTSD. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that baseline PTS (p = 0.001), baseline mTBI symptoms (p = 0.001), and positive radiology (magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography) findings for complicated mTBI (p = 0.02) accurately identified personnel with clinical levels of PTSD following mTBI. Years of military service, combat deployment status, age, and injury mechanism (blast vs. non-blast) were not associated with increased risk of PTS following mTBI. Pre-morbid PTS symptoms are associated with an increased risk for clinical levels of PTS following a subsequent mTBI. Symptom severity and positive radiologic findings may amplify this risk. At-risk personnel may benefit from early identification and intervention.
PMID: 27027526 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
[Summary: Scientific evaluation of EMDR psychotherapy].
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[Summary: Scientific evaluation of EMDR psychotherapy].
Encephale. 2016 Mar 23;
Authors: Haour F, de Beaurepaire C
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The evaluation of psychotherapy methods is made difficult by their practical and theoretical diversities as well as the increasing number of available therapies. Evaluation based on scientific criteria in randomized control trials is providing the highest level of proof and recognition by Health Agencies. A recently described integrative psychotherapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), developed by F. Shapiro since 1989, has been confronted with the validation procedure used in pharmacological treatment. It was of interest to review the scientific validation steps carried out for this EMDR psychotherapy and for its mechanisms of action.
AIM OF THE REVIEW: The practical and methodological protocol of the EMDR psychotherapy for trauma integration is reviewed as well as clinical results and mechanisms.
RESULTS: This EMDR therapy, focused on the resolutions of traumas, was started by treating patients with post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). The integrative EMDR protocol obtained the highest level of efficiency, for PTSD treatment, twenty years after its first publication. The efficiency of the protocol is now under study and scientific evaluation for troubles in which the trauma experiences are triggers or factors of maintenance of the troubles: anxiety, depression, phobia, sexual troubles, schizophrenia, etc.
CONCLUSION: This new integrative psychotherapy follows the pathways and the timing observed for the evaluation and the validation of other therapies.
PMID: 27017321 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
Sleep disturbances in veterans with chronic war-induced PTSD.
Sleep disturbances in veterans with chronic war-induced PTSD.
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Sleep disturbances in veterans with chronic war-induced PTSD.
J Inj Violence Res. 2016 Apr 19;8(2)
Authors: Khazaie H, Ghadami MR, Masoudi M
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder is related to a wide range of medical problems, with a majority of neurological, psychological, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, as well as sleep disorders. Although the majority of studies reveal the association between PTSD and sleep disturbances, there are few studies on the assessment of sleep disruption among veterans with PTSD. In this article, we attempt to study the sleep disorders including insomnia, nightmare, sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep-related movement disorders and parasomnias among veterans with chronic war-induced PTSD. It is an important area for further research among veterans with PTSD.
PMID: 27093088 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
An Integrative Model for the Neural Mechanism of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
An Integrative Model for the Neural Mechanism of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
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An Integrative Model for the Neural Mechanism of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Front Behav Neurosci. 2016;10:52
Authors: Coubard OA
Abstract
Since the seminal report by Shapiro that bilateral stimulation induces cognitive and emotional changes, 26 years of basic and clinical research have examined the effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in anxiety disorders, particularly in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present article aims at better understanding EMDR neural mechanism. I first review procedural aspects of EMDR protocol and theoretical hypothesis about EMDR effects, and develop the reasons why the scientific community is still divided about EMDR. I then slide from psychology to physiology describing eye movements/emotion interaction from the physiological viewpoint, and introduce theoretical and technical tools used in movement research to re-examine EMDR neural mechanism. Using a recent physiological model for the neuropsychological architecture of motor and cognitive control, the Threshold Interval Modulation with Early Release-Rate of rIse Deviation with Early Release (TIMER-RIDER)-model, I explore how attentional control and bilateral stimulation may participate to EMDR effects. These effects may be obtained by two processes acting in parallel: (i) activity level enhancement of attentional control component; and (ii) bilateral stimulation in any sensorimotor modality, both resulting in lower inhibition enabling dysfunctional information to be processed and anxiety to be reduced. The TIMER-RIDER model offers quantitative predictions about EMDR effects for future research about its underlying physiological mechanisms.
PMID: 27092064 [PubMed]
The tenth annual amygdala, stress, and PTSD conference: “The amygdala: Dysfunction, hyperfunction, and connectivity”.
The tenth annual amygdala, stress, and PTSD conference: “The amygdala: Dysfunction, hyperfunction, and connectivity”.
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The tenth annual amygdala, stress, and PTSD conference: “The amygdala: Dysfunction, hyperfunction, and connectivity”.
J Neurosci Res. 2016 Jun;94(6):433-6
Authors: Prager EM, Wynn GH, Ursano RJ
PMID: 27091310 [PubMed – in process]
Female veterans’ preferences for counseling related to intimate partner violence: Informing patient-centered interventions.
Female veterans’ preferences for counseling related to intimate partner violence: Informing patient-centered interventions.
Related Articles |
Female veterans’ preferences for counseling related to intimate partner violence: Informing patient-centered interventions.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2016 Mar 18;
Authors: Iverson KM, Stirman SW, Street AE, Gerber MR, Carpenter SL, Dichter ME, Bair-Merritt M, Vogt D
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Female veterans are at high risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). A critical issue in the provision of health care to women who experience IPV is the delivery of effective brief counseling interventions that address women’s unique needs. We aimed to identify female veterans’ priorities and preferences for healthcare-based IPV counseling.
METHOD: A 2014 Web-based survey was administered to a national sample of US female veterans. Among 411 respondents (75% participation rate), 55% (n=226) reported IPV during their lifetime. These women identified priorities for the content focus of IPV-related counseling and preferences for the delivery of these services.
RESULTS: Women prioritized counseling that focuses on physical safety and emotional health, with learning about community resources being a relatively lower priority. Participants preferred counseling to focus specifically on enhancing coping skills and managing mental health symptoms. In addition, women want counseling to be individualized and preferred the option to meet with a counselor immediately following disclosure. Affordable services and attention to privacy concerns were of paramount importance in the context of IPV-related counseling.
CONCLUSION: These findings can inform patient-centered brief counseling interventions for women who experience IPV, which may ultimately reduce health disparities and violence among this population.
PMID: 27083252 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
Association of Spirituality With Mental Health Conditions in Ohio National Guard Soldiers.
Association of Spirituality With Mental Health Conditions in Ohio National Guard Soldiers.
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Association of Spirituality With Mental Health Conditions in Ohio National Guard Soldiers.
J Nerv Ment Dis. 2016 Apr 8;
Authors: Ganocy SJ, Goto T, Chan PK, Cohen GH, Sampson L, Galea S, Liberzon I, Fine T, Shirley E, Sizemore J, Calabrese JR, Tamburrino MB
Abstract
Research exploring spirituality in military populations is a relatively new field with limited published reports. This study used the Spiritual Well-Being Scale to examine the association of spiritual well-being with suicidal ideation/behavior, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression and alcohol use disorders in a randomized sample of Ohio Army National Guard soldiers. The participants were 418 soldiers, mostly white and male, with nearly three-quarters indicating that they had been deployed at least once during their careers. Higher spirituality, especially in the existential well-being subscale, was associated with significantly less lifetime PTSD, depression, and alcohol use disorders and with less suicidal ideation over the past year. Future research in this area may benefit from a longitudinal design that can assess spirituality and mental health behaviors in addition to diagnoses at different time points, to begin to explore spirituality in a larger context.
PMID: 27065107 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]