Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety-Related Conditions

This article provides a synopsis of current assessment and treatment considerations for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related anxiety disorder characteristics. Epidemiologic and neurobiological data are reviewed as well as common associated symptoms, including sleep disruption, and treatment approaches to these conditions. RECENT FINDINGS PTSD is no longer considered an anxiety-related disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition classification and instead is associated with trauma/stressor-related disorders. PTSD symptoms are clustered into four domains including intrusive experiences, avoidance, mood, and arousal symptoms. Despite this reclassification, similarities exist in consideration of diagnosis, treatment, and comorbidities with anxiety disorders. PTSD and anxiety-related disorders are heterogeneous, which is reflected by the neural circuits involved in the genesis of symptoms that may vary across symptom domains. Treatment is likely to benefit from consideration of this heterogeneity. Research in animal models of fear and anxiety, as well as in humans, suggests that patients with PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder have difficulty accurately determining safety from danger and struggle to suppress fear in the presence of safety cues. Empirically supported psychotherapies commonly involved exposure (fear extinction learning) and are recommended for PTSD. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to be...
Source: CONTINUUM: Lifelong Learning in Neurology - Category: Neurology Tags: REVIEW ARTICLES Source Type: research