Pharmacology, pharmacogenomics, drug discovery and design, drug therapy
Psychiatry
A sharp increase in the prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders, including major
depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
has occurred due to the traumatic nature of the persisting COVID-19 global pandemic.
PTSD is estimated to occur in up to 25% of individuals following exposure to acute
or chronic trauma, and the pandemic has inflicted both forms of trauma on much of
the population through both direct physiological attack as well as an inherent upheaval
to our sense of safety. However, despite significant advances in our ability to define
and apprehend the effects of traumatic events, the neurobiology and neuroanatomical
circuitry of PTSD, one of the most severe consequences of traumatic exposure, remains
poorly understood. Furthermore, the current psychotherapies or pharmacological options
for treatment have limited efficacy, durability, and low adherence rates. Consequently,
there is a great need to better understand the neurobiology and neuroanatomy of PTSD
and develop novel therapies that extend beyond the current limited treatments. This
review summarizes the neurobiological and neuroanatomical underpinnings of PTSD and
discusses the conventional and emerging psychotherapies, pharmacological and combined
psychopharmacological therapies, including the use of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies
and neuromodulatory interventions, for the improved treatment of PTSD and the potential
for their wider applications in other neuropsychiatric disorders resulting from traumatic
exposure.
