Blocking the orexin system following therapeutic exposure promoted between session habituation, but not PTSD symptom reduction.

ABSTRACT: There is a need to identify strategies to increase the effectiveness of treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleep is often disturbed in PTSD and has been implicated in learning processes that underlie recovery from PTSD, including extinction of conditioned fear. Our prior study suggested that diminished arousal during sleep may enhance benefits of therapeutic exposure for PTSD. The orexin system regulates arousal, and blocking the system diminishes arousal and promotes sleep. We, therefore, examined whether a dual orexin receptor antagonist, suvorexant, administered following evening exposure sessions, would enhance their therapeutic effectiveness for PTSD. In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, adults with PTSD completed four written narrative exposure

SUBMITTER: Kobayashi I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9192822 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature