Schnyder de Quervain
Fakultäten » Medizinische Fakultät » Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Klinik für » Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schnyder » Schnyder de Quervain
Current research project
| Title / Titel | Low-dose cortisol in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, multi-center trial | ||||||
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| Abstract (PDF, 14 KB) | |||||||
| Summary / Zusammenfassung | Patients with PTSD often show low endogenous cortisol levels and people with reduced cortisol excretion in response to a traumatic event have a higher risk of developing subsequent PTSD. Moreover, there is evidence for preventive effects of cortisol, as the prolonged administration of stress doses of cortisol during intensive care treatment in critically ill patients reduces the risk for later PTSD. In view of our previous findings in animals and healthy human subjects, together with the results of our pilot study, it is possible that cortisol influences risk and symptoms of PTSD by controlling the amount of retrieved traumatic memories. Elevated cortisol levels may decrease risk and symptoms of PTSD by inhibiting excessive retrieval of traumatic memories, while low endogenous cortisol levels may promote development and symptomatology of PTSD by a disinhibition of traumatic memory retrieval. Furthermore, we found evidence for a prolonged effect of the cortisol treatment, which may have been due to a glucocorticoid-induced facilitation of extinction of aversive memories. Persistent retrieval and reconsolidation of traumatic memories is a process that keeps these memories vivid and thereby the disorder alive. By inhibiting memory retrieval, cortisol may weaken the traumatic memory trace and thus reduce symptoms even beyond the treatment period. In conclusion, the findings of our pilot study indicate that the administration of cortisol reduces re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD. Now, a study with more patients and longer treatment periods is needed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of cortisol in the treatment of PTSD. We are using a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, multi-center study design. Patients are randomly assigned to start first with cortisol or with placebo medication for three months. Current status: Due to problems with recruitment of an adequate sample, data collection was stopped in summer 2010. Data of 7 patients are currently being analyzed. |
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| Publications / Publikationen | Aerni A, Traber R, Hock C, Roozendaal B, Schelling G, Papassotiropoulos A, Nitsch RM, Schnyder U, de Quervain DJ (2004) Low-dose cortisol for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Am J Psychiatry 161:1488-1490 | ||||||
| Project leadership and contacts / Projektleitung und Kontakte |
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| Funding source(s) / Unterstützt durch |
SNF (Personen- und Projektförderung), Foundation |
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| In collaboration with / In Zusammenarbeit mit |
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| Duration of Project / Projektdauer | Apr 2007 to Apr 2013 |