Using Prazosin to Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Associations: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be defined by symptomatic cognitive, behavioral, somatic, and affective perpetuation resulting from a psychologically traumatic event. It is characterized by intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks involving the traumatic event, avoidant behaviors, hypervigilance, and sleep disorders, causing a functional impact in the social, occupational, and interpersonal spheres, with significant loss of quality of life for patients. [1][2][3][4] Studies on the epidemiological relevance differ regarding the prevalence of the disorder. A study based on data from the World Health Organization stated that the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the general pop-

The gene expression landscape of the human locus coeruleus revealed by single-nucleus and spatially-resolved transcriptomics

“…Related to these findings, the NE reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine is the first non-stimulant medication that is FDA-approved for treating ADHD [18][19][20]. Disruption of noradrenergic signaling is also associated with anxiety, addiction, and responses to stress and trauma, and drugs that modulate noradrenergic signaling have been used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety, and opioid withdrawal [4,[21][22][23][24][25]. Given the wide range of functions that are modulated by the LC-NE system, improved understanding of the gene expression landscape of the LC and surrounding region and delineating the molecular profile of LC-NE neurons in the human brain could facilitate the ability to target these neurons for disease prevention or manipulate their function for treatment in a variety of disorders.…”

Case report: Prazosin augmentation for treating comorbid treatment-resistant depression and chronic post-traumatic stress disorder

“…However, around a half percent of patients respond poorly to the treatment (4,5). Prazosin was found to improve nightmares in PTSD and has been extensively studied in clinical trials (6,9). In this case report, we used prazosin in addition to SSRIs to treat PTSD with comorbid TRD.…”

“…Many clinical studies have shown that prazosin, an α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, significantly improves nightmares in PTSD (9). However, a randomized controlled trial also showed that prazosin was ineffective in alleviating sleep disturbance in PTSD veterans (10).…”

The gene expression landscape of the human locus coeruleus revealed by single-nucleus and spatially-resolved transcriptomics

“…Related to these findings, the NE reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine is the first non-stimulant medication that is FDA-approved for treating ADHD ( Bouret and Sara, 2004 ; Bymaster et al, 2002 ; Newman et al, 2008 ). Disruption of noradrenergic signaling is also associated with anxiety, addiction, and responses to stress and trauma, and drugs that modulate noradrenergic signaling have been used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety, and opioid withdrawal ( Morris et al, 2020 ; Dell’Osso et al, 2011 ; Weinshenker and Schroeder, 2007 ; Berridge and Waterhouse, 2003 ; Urits et al, 2020 ; Paiva et al, 2021 ). Given the wide range of functions that are modulated by the LC-NE system, an improved understanding of the gene expression landscape of the LC and the surrounding region and delineating the molecular profile of LC-NE neurons in the human brain could facilitate the ability to target these neurons for disease prevention or manipulate their function for treatment in a variety of disorders.…”