The Relationship between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Due to Brain Injury and Glutamate Intake: A Systematic Review

Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests a connection between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While the exact mechanism is unknown, we hypothesize that chronic glutamate neurotoxicity may play a role. The consumption of dietary glutamate is a modifiable factor influencing glutamate levels in the blood and, therefore, in the brain. In this systematic review, we explored the relationship between dietary glutamate and the development of post-TBI PTSD. Of the 1748 articles identified, 44 met the inclusion criteria for analysis in this review. We observed that individuals from countries with diets traditionally high in glutamate had greater odds of developing PTSD after TBI (odds ratio = 15.2, 95% confidence interval 11.69 to 19.76, p < 0.01). These findings may support the hypothesis that chronically elevated blood glutamate concentrations caused by high dietary intake invoke neurodegeneration processes that could ultimately result in PTSD. Further studies will clarify whether lowering glutamate via diet would be an effective strategy in preventing or treating post-TBI PTSD.

German Chamomile (<em>Matricaria chamomilla</em> L.) Flowers Extract, Its Amino Acids Preparations and 3D-Printed Dosage Forms: Phytochemical, Pharmacological, Technological and Molecular Docking Study

“…Glutamic acid is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate nervous system. It serves as the precursor for synthesising of the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in GABAergic neurons [26,27]. Therefore, it could affect the soporific activity of the M. chamomilla dry extract.…”