Molecular Biomarkers of PTSD: A Case for Measuring Psychotherapy Efficacy and mtDNA CN Involvement
Abstract
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that occurs in individuals who witness or experience a traumatic event. Many PTSD treatments have a focus on direct alterations of emotion and thought responses due to trauma. Some of the leading psychotherapy treatments for ptsd include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). Eye Movement Desensitization and Realization (EMDR) Therapy has greater focus on altering memory storage in the brain. EMDR differs from other psychotherapies in that the reprocessing of trauma engages both hemispheres of the brain via bilateral stimulation. EMDR along with other psychotherapies typically evaluate therapy success with subjective measures of progress rather than objective. We know associated biomarkers with PTSD have been found to have potential objective clinical applications in assessing psychotherapy effectiveness. These biomarkers include salivary cortisol levels, GABA plasma levels, and many more. Mitochondrial DNA CN is an emerging subject of focus in the exploration of the pathophysiology of many psychological diseases, like Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Anxiety Disorders. Here, we propose the measurement of mtDNA in human saliva samples as a dynamic, noninvasive, and quantitative biometric for assessing EMDR's efficacy in modulating physiological response to trauma.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Eben Gering
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-6-2022 12:00 PM
End Date
4-7-2022 5:00 PM
Molecular Biomarkers of PTSD: A Case for Measuring Psychotherapy Efficacy and mtDNA CN Involvement
Alvin Sherman Library
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that occurs in individuals who witness or experience a traumatic event. Many PTSD treatments have a focus on direct alterations of emotion and thought responses due to trauma. Some of the leading psychotherapy treatments for ptsd include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). Eye Movement Desensitization and Realization (EMDR) Therapy has greater focus on altering memory storage in the brain. EMDR differs from other psychotherapies in that the reprocessing of trauma engages both hemispheres of the brain via bilateral stimulation. EMDR along with other psychotherapies typically evaluate therapy success with subjective measures of progress rather than objective. We know associated biomarkers with PTSD have been found to have potential objective clinical applications in assessing psychotherapy effectiveness. These biomarkers include salivary cortisol levels, GABA plasma levels, and many more. Mitochondrial DNA CN is an emerging subject of focus in the exploration of the pathophysiology of many psychological diseases, like Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Anxiety Disorders. Here, we propose the measurement of mtDNA in human saliva samples as a dynamic, noninvasive, and quantitative biometric for assessing EMDR's efficacy in modulating physiological response to trauma.
