Could some time in a computer-generated world while on a fear-fighting drug help troops deal with post-traumatic stress disorder? Emory’s Dr. Barbara Rothbaum University of California’s Dr. Charles Marmar think so.
A tuberculosis drug called D-cycloserine, or DCS, could be the key, notes Army Times.
DCS affects what are called NMDA receptors, key parts of the brain mechanism that controls memory and learning…
The intention is to allow DCS to inhibit fear receptors in the brain so patients can deal with painful memories in a constructive way and essentially “unlearn the fear response” when it comes to their war memories…
Veterans participating in both experimental treatments will be given 50-milligram doses of DCS about half an hour before therapy, as well as exposure therapy…
At Emory, patients will undergo virtual-reality exposure therapy, in which a helmet display with sound effects will put them back in Iraq in one of three scenarios: a solo Humvee ride, a convoy or urban warfare…
Each Emory patient will go through five total sessions four with the DCS and virtual reality and one preliminary therapy session, she said. The study is expected to take five years and include about 150 patients, although the number could expand, she said…
Rothbaum has already used the combination of DCS and virtual-reality therapy on patients who have a fear of heights. She said patients in that study were “significantly better” even three months later, when they were exposed to heights without DCS.
“That gave us a lot of hope,” she said. “So now were trying something more complicated.”
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Good Morning Folks,
Instead of Voodo and “Pop Medicine” how about finding out how much combat can they human brain deal with before it shuts down?
The Veterans Administration already knows the answere form studies done in WWII with the 3ed. and 45th. Divisions (they saw the most days of combat in WWII)and in Vietnam with the 9th. Marines. Both these studies of different generation shows that there is a finate amount of combat stress a Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Airman can take the it’s on the down hill slope of the curve.
The problem is not trying to rewire brains, one the threshold has been crossed there is very little that can be done to reverse the process, the effects of combat stress is a life time condition. The solution of course is to limit the amount of combat an individual is exposed to and then with draw that person before the become a casuality.
With many in our armed forces today doing third and fourth tours as combatiants in Iraq and Afghanistan PTSD has become a wide spread condition that even the V.A. isnow putting at 35% of totalforce and rising. Just a year ago that numer was in the 10% range.
The argurment here is that soldiers are expensive to make and must be used to there limits and beyond but this at best is onlt a short term saving. The savings of this economy of force by not having a enought personal to do the job will more then be given back in the long term. The estimated cost for the rest of the century for this short sightness has been forcast in the $Trillions.
On the human question, why should service to one’s country come with a price tag of life long disabilities, for the sake of a few pieces of silver?
Those that die in combat and come back on their shields, and return as heros, they are the lucky ones. Those who come back incomplete and broken have to deal with life will die everyday over and over.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
Rather than a drug to treat PTSD, the US needs a drug to prevent PTSD. That way our military can engage in slaughter with complete abandon and be none the worse for it (assuming they survive physically intact, of course).
Alternately, the US could drastically reduce its participation in military actions around the globe, but negative consequences for the congressional military industrial complex would prevent that from ever happening.
The VA is not using all available resources to treat combat related mental/emotional health needs. There is a Federal Disability Law they disagree with, 28 CFR 36.104; Anyone employed by the VA & soldier advocates reading this, you think I am making this up, read the working definition & speak with the Department Of Justice Disability Rights Division for confirmation. There are many that will never return to military service, wmake them knowledgable of this service that will assist them returning to daily activities.
I
True, fear drug if you don’t want to end up in a drug rehab. What I noticed is that many people tend to complicate their souls and are kinda of masochists.
Drug Ranch program rehab facilities are very exclusive and effective then other rehab centers. These are for boys only. All the boys live in bunkhouse and taking part in activities like chores, meal preparation and clean up, and all house cleaning. Its class room fully equipper with computer facility and gives the hands-on labs training vocational learning opportunities.
http://www.drugrehabscenters.com/
As stated in the Book “The Ghost in the Orange Closet(.com)” two factors have recently made treatment of PTSD much more effective and successful. One, PTSD must be recognized as a chemical change in the brain and that genetics now appear to be a factor in susceptibility of PTSD.
TL Criser
Corpus Christi
Hi,
Thanks for writing such a great article. It
Hi,
Thanks for writing such a great article. It
Hi,
Thanks for writing such a great article. It
Hi,
Thanks for writing such a great article. It