Leo Sher, M.D.

“Psychiatry Today,” a Japanese scientific news bulletin, has just published a report on the symposium, “Translational neuroscience may inform treatment development for posttraumatic stress disorder” that was held on June 28, 2009 during the 9th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry (June 28-July 2, 2009, Palace of Congresses (Le Palais des Congrès de Paris), Paris, France) (1). This symposium was chaired by me and co-chaired by Prof. Alexander Neumeister.

Significant animal and human data indicate that stress compromises neurotrophic functions producing neural atrophy and reducing neuroplasticity resulting in dysfunction in brain circuitry associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (2,3). This problem has been identified as the most important priority for studies of the neurobiology of PTSD. This symposium was the first translational interdisciplinary attack on this problem and targeted major gaps in our understanding of the neurobiology, neural circuitry, phenomenology, and treatment of PTSD. Four lectures were presented at the symposium: “Early postnatal stress: Impact on neural circuits and relevance to psychophysiology” by Prof. Machiko Matsumoto (Japan) (4), “Long term alterations in brain and neurobiology in PTSD” by Prof. Eric Vermetten (Netherlands) (5), “Mechanisms of resilience: Lessons from PET imaging” by Prof. Alexander Neumeister (USA)(6) and “Neurobiology of suicidal behavior in PTSD and implications for suicide prevention” by me (7). Future studies of PTSD may lead to better understanding of the pathophysiology of PTSD and identification of targets for therapeutic drugs.

References

1. Translational neuroscience may inform treatment development for posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Today, 2010, No. 24, pp. 16-18 (in Japanese).
2. Francati V, Vermetten E, Bremner JD. Functional neuroimaging studies in posttraumatic stress disorder: review of current methods and findings. Depress Anxiety 2007;24(3):202-18.
3. Reagan LP, Grillo CA, Piroli GG. The As and Ds of stress: metabolic, morphological and behavioral consequences. Eur J Pharmacol 2008;585(1):64-75.
4. Matsumoto M. Early postnatal stress: Impact on neural circuits and relevance to psychophysiology. In: 9th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, Paris, France, June 28 – July 2, 2009. Abstracts, p. 28.
5. Vermetten E. Long term alterations in brain and neurobiology in PTSD. In: 9th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, Paris, France, June 28 – July 2, 2009. Abstracts, p. 28.
6. Neumeister A. Mechanisms of resilience: Lessons from PET imaging. In: 9th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, Paris, France, June 28 – July 2, 2009. Abstracts, p. 28.
7. Sher L. Neurobiology of suicidal behavior in posttraumatic stress disorder and implications for suicide prevention. In: 9th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, Paris, France, June 28 – July 2, 2009. Abstracts, pp. 28-29.