News & Headlines

Clinical trials using the drug known as ecstasy to treat PTSD may have been tainted by investigator biases and understated possible harmful effects, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review said in a report on Tuesday. Why it matters: The influential nonprofit's assessment could complicate prospects for the therapy, which has been touted as a treatment for veterans with PTSD and is part of a cohort of psychedelic drugs that has shown promise for treating addictions and mental health disorders.

A study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) found that a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model can accurately screen for post-traumatic stress disorder following recent childbirth (CB-PTSD). The study explored the capabilities—as well as weaknesses—of different models from OpenAI, including ChatGPT, to identify a version that can offer insights into maternal health following a traumatic childbirth.

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of hospitalizations and deaths around the world, affecting more than five million people each year. Predicting outcomes following a brain injury can be challenging, yet families are asked to make decisions about continuing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment within days of injury. In a new study, Mass General Brigham investigators analyzed potential clinical outcomes for TBI patients enrolled in the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI) study for whom life support was withdrawn. The investigators found that some patients for whom life support was withdrawn may have survived and recovered some level of independence a few months after injury. These findings suggest that delaying decisions on withdrawing life support might be beneficial for some patients.

Concussion management often involves physical and mental rest until symptoms go away. This can help you prevent second injuries and allow injured tissues to heal. However, research is starting to show that some physical and cognitive activity may help promote recovery. “What we’ve seen over the last few years is a progressive pushback in the literature on this idea of rest, rest, rest. There’s evidence that introduction of early physical activity promotes recovery,” says Ross Zafonte, DO, a Mass General Brigham sports medicine specialist and an expert in concussion care. “What’s really exciting is that [new research now shows that] early cognitive activity of a moderate intensity (in other words, returning to school earlier or returning to other mild activities) is associated with a better outcome.”

Bailey will trade in his two-piece catcher’s mask for a hockey-style one said to provide more protection after suffering the second concussion of his MLB career.

An Air Force policy change will allow pilots to receive 60 days of mental health treatment without being taken out of flight status, a notable policy update as the service works to destigmatize airmen seeking care. Prior to the policy update, which was publicized in a May 1 press release, if an airman began seeking treatment for mental health-related illnesses or concerns, they would then need a return-to-duty waiver to fly, a requirement that often kept pilots grounded for extended periods.

The U.S. FDA's panel of independent advisers will on June 4 deliberate whether they should recommend approval for the first MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, Lykos Therapeutics said on Monday. This would be the first FDA panel of outside experts to review a potential new PTSD treatment in 25 years.

Suicide among the military community is an issue of significant concern, particularly given its disproportionate impact on service members compared to the civilian population. The stigma around discussing mental health and separation from service is a considerable barrier to treatment, often resulting in guarded and misleading responses that undermine effective intervention strategies.

Patients with PTSD experience both emotional numbness and hyperreactivity. A new study digs into how these contrasting symptoms are linked.

Soldiers exposed to thousands of low-level blasts from firing weapons like mortars say that they wind up with debilitating symptoms of traumatic brain injury — but no diagnosis.

A team of Brown University researchers is launching a study to test the combined use of the drug MDMA and talk therapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder in military veterans. The study is the first at Brown on MDMA-assisted therapy and the first anywhere to test the treatment’s effectiveness for dual disorders, the researchers said.

A mother of four fought for her family after her husband, who'd served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, came home with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.  Marine veteran Chuck Rotenberry's trauma from war impacted his family. The couple's oldest, Kristopher, tried to help his dad and shield his sisters. As his responsibilities grew, so too, did the stress, and he says he attempted suicide when he was 12. His mother, Liz, found care for her son, getting Kris into intensive therapy, then enrolling him and his sisters in a clinic for military children confronting PTSD.