Erasing traumatic memories to treat PTSD may be possible by modulating NMDA receptors in the brain. Standard PTSD treatment pairs antidepressants with cognitive behavioral therapy, but relapse is common. Ketamine with therapy is one way to target these receptors. Researchers have now tested a new molecule, NYX-783, with promising results.
Summary: PTSD is a common problem treated with both medicine and cognitive behavioral therapy. For drugs, doctors mainly use antidepressants. Most people benefit, but relapse is common. To shorten treatment and prevent relapse, researchers need to understand what drives PTSD and find new medicines. New studies show that adjusting NMDA receptors (memory-linked receptors in the brain) may help erase traumatic memories and bring natural recovery. Right now, ketamine with cognitive therapy is one way to do that. In the new study, researchers tested a new molecule, NYX-783, with great success.
An estimated 3.6% of US adults live with PTSD. In addition, it is estimated that about 7% of adults would be affected by PTSD during their lifetime.
PTSD as a diagnosis is not old. Doctors first used the term to describe mental health problems in Vietnam war veterans. So doctors first defined PTSD in the 1970s. But that does not mean PTSD did not exist long ago.
PTSD has always existed. A traumatic experience causes it. Some people find it hard to forget those experiences. They report trauma symptoms like flashbacks, anxiety and trouble thinking clearly.
One problem with mental health disorders is that they are hard to treat. Researchers still do not fully understand how they develop. Adjusting specific parts of the brain is even harder. Still, research goes on, and we can expect safer and better treatments in the future.
Right now, doctors use a range of drugs to manage post-traumatic stress disorder. They mainly use antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Can therapy and medication together help PTSD recovery?
Along with drugs, doctors also use non-drug methods to manage the effects of PTSD. People with PTSD are of sound mind, so they can follow instructions. So cognitive behavior therapy may help make them less sensitive and help erase fearful memories.
Of course, non-drug treatment is better in many ways. It is often safer and may bring lasting remission or even a full cure. But non-drug & telehealth treatments like cognitive behavior therapy take a lot of effort and time. It also fails in almost half of cases. So pairing it with some medicines can make it work better.
There are many ways to erase these fearful memories faster, like using ketamine. But researchers are looking for drugs that work better and are safer.
Studies show that glutamatergic neurons (nerve cells that use glutamate) play a key role in PTSD. Studies also suggest that the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) on these neurons helps control learning, memory and the brain’s ability to rewire. So adjusting these receptors could be a key to faster PTSD recovery.
Can a new drug erase traumatic memories in PTSD?
In the new study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, a team of researchers tested a new molecule called NYX-783 in mice. So this is still an early, pre-clinical study. Still, they found this compound could adjust NMDAR and thus can help modulate memories and early experiences.
The researchers put mice under severe, long stress to cause PTSD-like conditions. Then they started treatment aimed at erasing those traumatic memories.
They tested NYX-783 along with ketamine. Injecting the new substance about an hour before fear extinction therapy (therapy that fades fear memories) helped quite well. The new drug was especially good at bringing natural recovery. It also helped prevent relapse, meaning the return of PTSD.
The researchers then studied how this molecule works. They found it helps in several ways. First, it adjusts NMDA receptors by acting on the so-called GluN2B subunit. But the drug worked less well in mice with the Grin2b gene turned down.
Researchers found that this molecule helped erase traumatic memories, but it needed brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, a protein that helps brain cells grow) to work. So the molecule worked less well when BDNF activity was low.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best treatment for PTSD?
PTSD is treated with medicine and cognitive behavioral therapy, and the two work better together than either one alone. For drugs, doctors mainly use antidepressants, especially SSRIs. Therapy is safer in many ways and can bring lasting remission. But it takes a lot of effort and time and fails in almost half of cases. That is why pairing it with medicine matters.
How does PTSD treatment work?
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps make a person less sensitive to the traumatic experience and erase fearful memories. Glutamatergic neurons play a key role in PTSD. Their NMDA receptors control learning, memory and the brain’s ability to rewire. Adjusting those receptors is a way to erase fearful memories faster. Ketamine paired with cognitive therapy is one way doctors do that today.
What is the success rate of PTSD treatment?
Most people benefit from treatment, but PTSD often comes back. Cognitive behavioral therapy on its own fails in almost half of cases. That is why therapy is paired with medicine to raise its success. It is also why researchers are looking for medicines that shorten treatment and keep PTSD from coming back.
What are the new treatments for PTSD?
A new molecule called NYX-783 was tested in mice with PTSD-like conditions, in a study published in Molecular Psychiatry. Given about an hour before fear extinction therapy, it helped bring natural recovery and prevented relapse. It acts on the GluN2B subunit of the NMDA receptor and needs BDNF to work. It is still an early, pre-clinical study.
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