11 research outputs found
Development and refinement of a clinician intervention to facilitate primary care patient use of the PTSD Coach app
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Mindfulness Program for Veterans in Primary Care with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Delivery of mental health treatment to combat veterans with psychiatric diagnoses and TBI histories
Measurement Strategies for Evidence-Based Antidepressants for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Delivery: Trends and Associations with Patient-Reported Outcomes
Moderators of Cognitive Therapy and Bright Light Therapy Effects on Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Breast Cancer
Altered 5-HT2A Receptor Binding after Recovery from Bulimia-Type Anorexia Nervosa: Relationships to Harm Avoidance and Drive for Thinness
Integrating Endocannabinoid Signaling and Cannabinoids into the Biology and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Exposure to stress is an undeniable, but in most cases surmountable, part of life. However, in certain individuals, exposure to severe or cumulative stressors can lead to an array of pathological conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by debilitating trauma-related intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, hyperarousal, as well as depressed mood and anxiety. In the context of the rapidly changing political and legal landscape surrounding use of cannabis products in the United States, there has been a surge of public and research interest in the role of cannabinoids in the regulation of stress-related biological processes and in their potential therapeutic application for stress-related psychopathology. Here we review the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids in PTSD and the preclinical and clinical literature on the effects of cannabinoids and endogenous cannabinoid signaling systems in the regulation of biological processes related to the pathogenesis of PTSD. Potential therapeutic implications of the reviewed literature are also discussed. Lastly, we propose that a state of endocannabinoid deficiency could represent a stress-susceptibility endophenotype predisposing to the development of trauma-related psychopathology and provide biologically plausible support for the self-medication hypotheses used to explain high rates of cannabis use in patients with trauma-related disorders.Neuropsychopharmacology accepted article preview online, 26 July 2017. doi:10.1038/npp.2017.162