Scanner can detect PTSD

[geauxtohell]

Scientists say scanner can detect PTSD in veterans - CNN.com

I found this interesting, not only because it deals with veterans, but since it lays the basis for a tangible method of diagnosing a psychiatric condition, as opposed to a strict clinical diagnosis.

 

[waltky]

Results from Army PTSD complaint probe...

Army report recommends overhaul of psychiatric programs
March 8, 2013 — The Army did not find a systemic bias against diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder in a deep review of its psychiatric programs dating back to the start of the war in Afghanistan that was prompted by complaints about doctors at Madigan Army Medical Center.

In fact, the review of nearly 150,000 cases shows doctors were as likely to upgrade service members to PTSD from less serious, less expensive conditions as they were to downgrade them. At Madigan, patients charged that doctors were changing their PTSD diagnoses to save the Army money in mandatory disability benefits they would have received for certain behavioral health conditions.

Nonetheless, the Army in a dense, 57-page report concludes that inconsistent understanding of behavioral health resources and poor planning for surges in psychiatric needs continue to plague the service as the Afghanistan War comes to an end. It maps out comprehensive reforms to psychiatric programs, such as simplifying them and offering more resources to Reserve and National Guard soldiers in remote places. “Perhaps the lesson best learned by the Army from this past decade of war is the importance of proactively preparing for and addressing behavioral health and (disability) concerns,” wrote Lt. Gen. David Perkins, who led the Army Behavioral Health Task Force.

The Army launched its behavioral health review last year in response to complaints about misdiagnoses of PTSD at Madigan Army Medical Center, where service members receiving medical retirements protested that doctors had “reversed” initial PTSD diagnoses to less serious conditions. At the time, Madigan had a forensic psychiatry program that had the final say on behavioral health diagnoses. Its doctors sometimes changed diagnoses late in the process in such a way that confused service members or cost them disability benefits.

Perkins’ report does not shed any new light on what happened at the hospital, though it notes that doctors diagnosed 147 former Madigan patients with PTSD after the first complaints surfaced. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., pushed the Army to investigate Madigan and to expand its review across the service. She received a briefing on Perkins’ report this week from Army Secretary John McHugh, and called it a “good starting point to make real changes for our soldiers.”

MORE

 

[waltky]

Misunderstanding fuels PTSD debate...

Fears, misconceptions of PTSD fuel divide
June 5, 2013 WASHINGTON — When her post-traumatic stress disorder surfaces, Roxann Abrams sees the gun pointed at her face again.

She sees the man threatening her life. She hears him yelling something, but can’t quite make out the words. She starts to hyperventilate, both in the past and in the present. What her waking nightmare doesn’t include are the deserts of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan. That’s because Abrams never served in the military. Her PTSD stems from a robbery in Southern California 10 years ago. “I’ll never know what it’s like to be on a battlefield,” she said. “I’ll never know what these guys have had to face out there. “But I do know what it’s like to have night terrors, to lose control of your emotions. I know to some degree what they’re going through.”

PTSD is a signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, a debilitating disability that ruined the lives of countless Vietnam veterans. It’s viewed as automatic side effect of seeing dead bodies and flying bullets, the inevitable lingering stress unique to the battlefield. Only, it’s not. It’s actually a common physiological reaction to any sudden tragedy, including car accidents, sexual assaults and childhood abuse. Medical experts report thousands of cases following public horrors like the Sept. 11 attacks and the recent tornado in Oklahoma. Teams of counselors were immediately mobilized after the Boston marathon bombing.

The National Center for PTSD reports that about 8 percent of all Americans will suffer from the disorder at some point. Less than 1 percent ever saw the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. But it’s the military that has dominated the headlines and research surrounding the illness over the last decade. Abrams son, Marine Sgt. 1st Class Randy Abrams, killed himself in 2009 in what investigators believe was a panic attack connected to his undiagnosed post-traumatic stress. His story fits the well-worn narrative of PTSD as a war disease, the one that veterans groups grumble stigmatizes all returning troops. Friends said Abrams hid his combat flashbacks from his family, along with his struggles to adapt to post-military life. He withdrew. On the day he was scheduled to re-enlist as a soldier, he shot himself in his Georgia apartment. It took family and military officials a month to discover his death.

His mother said she was devastated by the news, not only because of the loss but also because of her own knowledge and struggles with post-traumatic stress. She boils when she talks about military and Veterans Affairs efforts to tackle mental health issues, blasting officials for slow-moving and poorly targeted programs. She’s convinced that if her son had understood the illness better, or if she had known about his symptoms, his life wouldn’t have ended so soon. “I’m a pissed-off mother who lost her son when I shouldn’t have,” she said.

Not just a 'military problem'

 

[whitehall]

90% accuracy? How do they know when they are accurate?

 

[Mad Scientist]

90% accuracy? How do they know when they are accurate?

When it detects that you have PTSD.

 

[konradv]

90% accuracy? How do they know when they are accurate?

When scanning abnormalities are found in patients clinically diagnosed with PTSD, i.e. in 90% of subjects with clinical PTSD a physical abnormality is found upon scanning.

 

[whitehall]

The concept opens up a big can 'o worms. Are the brains of alleged PTSD patients actually abnormal due to a year of uncomfortable living and exposure to occasional danger? Did they do research on kids who are exposed to fake trauma or hospital workers who see trauma victims every day or Cops who face danger and are exposed to autopsies and trauma for 20 years? Everybody should go in for the test if they can get some federal bennies. .

 

[dilloduck]

I've been traumatized by Ravi a few times. I need scanning.

 

[whitehall]

The dirty little secret is that the "brain scanner" company wants a government contract and the idiots who approve government contracts probably get a kickback. Can the technicians skew the data to show abnormal conditions in PTSD candidates? The problem is that many of the PTSD candidates saw less combat than a kid who lives on the mean streets of Detroit.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - Music soothes the soul of the savage beast...

Veterans: Moving With the Music Eases PTSD Symptoms
December 31, 2016 - Many veterans struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, after returning home from war. Symptoms of this invisible wound may manifest as panic attacks, flashbacks of horrible memories or nightmares.

People with PTSD may also have problems concentrating and sleeping. They may suddenly get angry or develop unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking and doing drugs. Some of them are dancing their symptoms away.

No worries, no nightmares

More than two dozen veterans gather once a week in Louisville, Kentucky, for a dance session. They’re clapping, moving to the music and taking a break from the overwhelming symptoms of PTSD. These dance-as-therapy sessions are organized by Deborah Denenfeld. “You know you get moving, the endorphins go up, and you feel good,” she said. “And they tell me that they continue to feel good even after they go home and maybe into the next day and the next day.”

According to the U.S. Veterans Administration, between 10 and 20 percent of war veterans are living with PTSD. Roosevelt Smith, who served in the Gulf War, is one of them and says dancing helps. “It’s a way of calming yourself, an outlet so to speak,” he said. “We have a lot of things that we do as far as prescription drugs, but this right here is the best prescription that I’ve had as far as dance, no side effects. Actually the only thing that will happen to you is if you smile too much, you know your cheeks may, uh, you get sore and you get stuck, but it’s good to be smiling.”

Dance as therapy

Denenfeld developed the “Dancing Well” program for veterans with PTSD in 2013. The group sessions are kept small, usually less than 30 people. Each session runs for 10 weeks. The lights are kept low and the music is cheery without heavy beats. “We do lower the lights for people who have traumatic brain injuries,” Denenfeld said. “We watch the volume of the music, some people are very sensitive to volumes and noise.”

War veteran Darlene Messler says following the music helps her focus on herself and live in the moment. “It brings me back to me, it focuses on myself and that I’m having fun, which before when I was always worried about what other people were thinking or did I do this right or stuff like that,” she said. “When I’m here, I don’t have to worry about that I just have fun, we’re all just here as a family and just having fun.” Denenfeld’s next step is to train volunteer leaders so more classes can be offered to help veterans fight PTSD.

Veterans: Moving With the Music Eases PTSD Symptoms

 

[waltky]

Veterans Using New Electromagnetic Therapy to Treat Depression...

VA Uses New Electromagnetic Therapy to Treat Depression
11 Mar 2017 | The new therapy uses an electromagnet charged with electricity that is applied to specific points on a patient's head.

Vietnam veteran Percy Jones is one of thousands who have served in the military and now suffers from depression. Jones fought his battle with depression for years and eventually began isolating himself, making matters worse. "I got angry easily and I was always very nervous," Jones told Fox News."I couldn't sleep. I started drinking too much. It got to the point where I was suicidal. I just didn't want to live." It's not just veterans who are at risk of depression, as 11,887 active duty service members received a diagnosis between January and May of 2016 alone. That number adds to the 774,000 veterans who received a possible diagnosis of major depression in 2016.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing a new option to help fight the disorder called Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or rTMS therapy. It's a device that uses an electromagnet charged with electricity that is applied to specific points on the patient's head. The powerful magnetic field can then affect the brain cells of the person suffering from depression. The VA purchased 40 rTMS devices to be distributed at facilities across the country. Jones is the first South Carolina patient to receive rTMS therapy. He began seeing Dr. Mark George, the man who invented rTMS therapy, and enrolled in a national trial at the Charleston VA. The therapy involves up to 30 sessions over a six-week period. Jones' treatments lasted 30 minutes per day, five days per week, for six weeks straight. Jones says he saw results shortly after enrolling in the trial. "In the first week and a half I could feel a difference," Jones said. "I started realizing that I was myself again."

Percy Jones receives rTMS therapy to help treat his depression.​

Kate Beaver, a spokesperson for the VA in Charleston, told Fox News that 60 percent of patients that received the treatment for clinical trials reported their depression improved or disappeared. "Some patients who get well will stay well indefinitely," Beaver said. "Others may need 'booster' sessions from time to time." Beaver said there are a few side effects that patients experienced during or shortly after getting the treatment: scalp discomfort, headache, facial twitching or pain which can be treated with over the counter pain medications. "These symptoms tend to lessen or go away over treatment time," Beaver said. "Seizure during treatment is the most serious known risk of TMS, and only a very few cases of seizure have been reported. There is little evidence of risk of seizures using TMS the way it is used for depression."

Most insurance companies do not cover the procedure, which could mean thousands in out-of-pocket costs. Terrence Hayes, spokesman for the VA, said the department is currently working with various insurance companies to get better coverage. He said veterans will likely pay a small portion of the overall cost. "The full course of therapy is variable and can cost between $6,000 and $12,000, depending upon the patient's condition and the number of sessions needed," Beaver said. Twenty rTMS devices, costing up to $100,000, will be delivered this year and 20 more are planned for 2018. This decision came nearly three weeks after President Trump announced that it was his top priority to ensure that veterans get the care they need when and where they need it.

VA Uses New Electromagnetic Therapy to Treat Depression | Military.com

 

[waltky]

Fort Hood PTSD Study Gives Hope for Faster Recovery...

Fort Hood PTSD Study Gives Hope for Faster Recovery
27 Jan 2018 - A recent Fort Hood-based study holds hope for a speedy recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms -- in as little as two weeks -- for service members returning from combat.

Researchers say the study, which involved 370 active-duty service members seeking PTSD treatment, has already led to a Defense Department directive to make the treatment more available at its clinics on military installations across the country. At Fort Hood's Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, researchers studied the effect of prolonged exposure therapy, in which patients repeatedly recounted and discussed their most traumatic memories to process the trauma they experienced and reduce the anxiety caused by the memories. Service members listened to recordings of those episodes, practiced confronting real-life situations that spark anxiety and did controlled breathing exercises. The therapy previously had shown success among civilians, but the length of the treatment -- eight to 15 weeks -- can make it difficult for service members to complete it.

But the Texas study found that two weeks of intensive daily treatment were as effective as a traditional eight-week course. Almost half of the study participants no longer tested positive for PTSD after the treatment, gains that researchers said largely held up over time. "The shorter treatment is an optimal intervention for military personnel with PTSD, as it minimizes the time and inconvenience entailed by a longer treatment before continuing their military career or returning to civilian life," said Edna Foa, a University of Pennsylvania clinical psychology and psychiatry professor, who developed prolonged exposure therapy and led the study. The study, the first-ever randomized clinical trial of prolonged exposure therapy with active-duty military personnel and the largest study yet of prolonged exposure therapy, was carried out by researchers affiliated with the STRONG STAR consortium, a multi-institutional research network funded by the Defense Department aimed at researching combat-related PTSD treatments.

Sean Brack, who served three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, participated in a groundbreaking PTSD study at Fort Hood, Texas.​

In 2016, STRONG STAR announced the results of another Fort Hood study that found 12 sessions of therapy led to PTSD recovery in 40 to 50 percent of soldiers. Instead of confronting traumatic memories directly as in prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy helps patients learn to think about their traumatic experiences in a clearer way, without "distorted thoughts" that perpetuate feelings of guilt, blame and anger, researchers said. STRONG STAR researchers are slated to train Defense Department clinicians who treat special operations forces troops on the two-week prolonged exposure therapy. Alan Peterson, a psychiatry professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio who directs the STRONG STAR consortium, said a short, intensive treatment would be more feasible given the schedules of elite troops.

Despite the promising results, combat-related PTSD remains more difficult to treat than other forms of PTSD. Recovery rates among civilians using prolonged exposure therapy are up to 80 percent, compared with about 50 percent for military veterans. "Our findings are good news -- about half of those treated can be treated into remission," Peterson said. "This is critical for the hundreds of thousands of post-9/11 combat veterans affected by PTSD and can do so much to improve lives and assist with military readiness. Still, we need to identify the specific factors with combat PTSD -- the things that make it more difficult to treat -- and then enhance the treatments to tackle those challenges."

Fort Hood PTSD Study Gives Hope for Faster Recovery