Fear & PTSD: Two Sides of the Same Coin

PTSD is a disorder that affects around twelve million people every year with numerous causes such as, witnessing traumatic events (death), being a victim of abuse, or experience in combat. (www.ptsd.va.gov). Research surrounding the mechanisms of disorders such as PTSD is typically based on memory. Dr. Stephanie Grella and colleagues focused on the manipulation of a memory in mice that sought to “update” it without the original fear response. 

            Using neuronal tagging, Dr. Grella and colleagues measured activity in the dentate gyrus of mice and fear conditioned them through exposure to shocks in their cages. After the mice were fear conditioned, optogenetics was used to intervene during the reconsolidation of the negative (fear) memory (Grella et al., 2022). This intervention would place a “positive” memory in competition with the fear memory which resulted in avoiding that memory from being reconsolidated and reduced the level of fear response from that memory (Grella et al., 2022). 

            The implications of these findings suggest that the dorsal dentate gyrus and basolateral amygdala are a confident starting point into uncovering crucial areas of the brain that can allow us to find solutions to disorders such as PTSD or anxiety in humans (Grella et al., 2022). We can be precise in targeting fear memories and ultimately manipulating them for the better.

            Contrastly, others are approaching PTSD differently. Recently, it was announced that the synthetic drug, MDMA, will soon be approved for medical treatment in those who suffer from PTSD. According to reporter Caitlin Tilley for DailyMail.com, a research study done by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) organization performed a trial on ninety individuals clinically diagnosed with PTSD. These trials administered approximately forty to sixty milligrams of MDMA to participants for eight hours with eye masks and headphones. Additionally, participants were given another dose two hours into the study of about the same dosage. The results revealed that a majority of the participants (88%) didn’t meet the criteria for PTSD diagnosis (Tilley 2022). Furthermore, along with the administration of MDMA, participants were also given therapy sessions, which saw greater success than therapy alone. The idea is that since MDMA is a drug that also affects trust, it allows the individual to be more trusting in their therapist and more willing to open up about their trauma (Tilley 2022). MAPS is currently preparing to submit their application for FDA approval, which could be by 2023 and approval could be seen by 2024 (Tilley 2022). 

            While both applications on targeting fear responses are substantially different, they somehow converge in that both studies target the amygdala in some way. These applications, with further studies and trials, show an optimistic outlook on improving the lives of the twelve million people that suffer from PTSD every year.