PTSD

Pairing a brief form of couples therapy with MDMA can lead to large improvements in PTSD symptoms and relationship satisfaction for veterans and their partners, even when only the diagnosed veteran receives the medication.

A new study suggests that positive emotional states, rather than profound mystical experiences, are the primary driver of symptom relief in MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. The findings highlight how MDMA heals trauma differently than classic psychedelics.

A new study shows that 3MDR therapy—which combines treadmill walking, virtual reality, and eye movement tasks—significantly reduces PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms in military veterans, first responders, and healthcare workers for up to a year.

Fathers who experience severe trauma before conception can pass biological and behavioral changes to their offspring. A new animal study reveals that combat-like stress in males alters the pain perception, social behavior, and brain chemistry of their descendants.

New research reveals how genetic risk and trauma symptoms combine to influence tobacco use. Individuals with a lower genetic predisposition to smoking may actually be more vulnerable to using tobacco in response to severe post-traumatic stress symptoms.

New research indicates that psilocybin treatment for PTSD involves very little talking. Instead of traditional psychotherapy, data suggests patients benefit most from the quiet, unobtrusive presence of support staff.

A pilot clinical trial suggests that psilocybin combined with psychotherapy is safe and well-tolerated by veterans with severe, treatment-resistant PTSD. The study found that most participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

Could biological markers predict PTSD risk? Scientists found that a smaller hypothalamus and low pre-trauma cortisol levels are strongly linked to persistent re-experiencing symptoms in trauma survivors, particularly those with a history of childhood adversity.

A daily routine of device-guided slow breathing helps veterans with trauma disorders dial back their physical fight-or-flight response to sudden mental stress, suggesting a new path for protecting the cardiovascular health of vulnerable patients without relying on medications.

New research shows that specific sleep patterns, like interrupted rest and falling asleep quickly, can predict lucid dreaming in people with PTSD. This could eventually help therapists use conscious dreaming to treat trauma-related nightmares.

Researchers have discovered that damage to specific communication pathways in the brain makes it harder to suppress unwanted traumatic memories, leading to intense, "here-and-now" flashbacks for people with PTSD.

The popular book The Body Keeps the Score has mainstreamed the idea that the body stores repressed traumatic memories. However, memory researchers warn this controversial concept risks reviving debunked theories and promoting therapies that generate false memories.

Following a traumatic event, some individuals develop mental health conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder or clinical depression. A massive new brain imaging study suggests these conditions are linked to the physical size of the brain's sensory relay station.

A new meta-analysis found that MDMA-assisted therapy significantly reduces PTSD symptoms. However, researchers warn the evidence quality is "very low" due to flaws in how the clinical trials were conducted, including a failure to use proper placebos.

A recent paper challenges the popular idea that the body literally stores psychological trauma. Researchers propose that trauma actually disrupts the brain's prediction systems, providing evidence that focused mental states could help restore cognitive flexibility.