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Therapeutic Challenges of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Focus on the Dopaminergic System

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness developed by vulnerable individuals exposed to life-threatening events. The pharmacological unresponsiveness displayed by the vast majority of PTSD patients has raised considerable interest in understanding the poorly known pathophysiological...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Torrisi, Sebastiano Alfio, Leggio, Gian Marco, Drago, Filippo, Salomone, Salvatore
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478703/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31057408
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.00404
Descripción
Sumario:Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness developed by vulnerable individuals exposed to life-threatening events. The pharmacological unresponsiveness displayed by the vast majority of PTSD patients has raised considerable interest in understanding the poorly known pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder. Most studies in the field focused, so far, on noradrenergic mechanisms, because of their well-established role in either tuning arousal or in encoding emotional memories. However, less attention has been paid to other neural systems. Manipulations of the dopaminergic system alter behavioral responses to stressful situations and recent findings suggest that dopaminergic dysfunction might play an overriding role in the pathophysiology of PTSD. In the present review, dopaminergic mechanisms relevant for the pathogenesis of PTSD, as well as potential dopaminergic-based pharmacotherapies are discussed in the context of addressing the unmet medical need for new and effective drugs for treatment of PTSD.