Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Dr. Kim Mulvihill reporting New research shows how war may change the brain, and in some cases, lead to post traumatic stress.
Now, a new experimental drug may help undo some of the damage.
It's estimated that as many as one in five soldiers develop PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder.
Now, an experimental drug may help some soldiers let go of their fears.
Antoine Brooks, Served in Iraq War: "Unfortunately I did see a lot of death "
In Iraq, Captain Antoine Brooks did not know the language, the culture - or whether he would survive.
Antoine Brooks, Served in Iraq War: "Every day you didn't know if you were going to walk up to someone and they didn't like you and you could get shot"
Once home brooks thought everything was fine. It was not.
Antoine Brooks, Served in Iraq War: "I couldn't go out to large crowds, I really tensed up"
Brooks began showing signs of post traumatic stress.
Charles Marmar, M.D., UCSF/San Francisco VA Medical Center: "One of the single most important predictors of post traumatic stress in both the military and civilians is having your own life threatened, especially if it is threatened repeatedly"
The war in Iraq is different. More soldiers are surviving their injuries than in any other war. But how they're coping in the warzone - and later at home - may be bad for the brain.
Charles Marmar, M.D., UCSF/San Francisco VA Medical Center: "There is concern that post traumatic stress disorder itself may be associated with some neurocognitive changes.
Changes having to do with the harmful effects of stress hormones on the brain. troops over time, chronic PTSD may make some more vulnerable to other neurological insults.
Charles Marmar, M.D., UCSF/San Francisco VA Medical Center: "Are they going to be at risk for premature senior dementia changes because living with PTSD for 30 years"
Injured soldiers and the threat from chronic PTSD may be even worse in the face of a concussion, which are common in Iraq.
Charles Marmar, M.D., UCSF/San Francisco VA Medical Center: "Those two may potentate each other.. one and one may equal three in this case"
Dr. Charles Marmar is with the San Francisco VA Medical Center. He is testing an experimental drug to treat ptsd. It's called d-cycloserine.
Charles Marmar, M.D., UCSF/San Francisco VA Medical Center: "Its being used essentially to enhance the effects of the psychotherapy sessions"
More drugs the drug may help those with ptsd get over it more quickly - by helping the brain unlearn what makes it fearful.
Charles Marmar, M.D., UCSF/San Francisco VA Medical Center: "In a post 9/11 post Katrina world, we find ourselves in, traumatic exposures is an unfortunate and widespread fact of life."
Unlike most psychiatric drugs which are given on a daily basis for months or years.... this drug is only given a few minutes before therapy, and only at psychotherapy sessions where patients revisit their trauma.
