Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Canadian Special Operation Forces Command With Ketamine Plus Cervical...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Trauma Research
• Military Medicine

Background:

• Canadian Special Operation Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) operators face high risks of trauma, blast exposure, PTSD, and blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI).
• Existing treatments for PTSD and bTBI offer limited efficacy.
• Prior studies suggest potential benefits of ketamine infusion and cervical sympathetic blockade (CSB) for these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of combined ketamine infusion and bilateral CSB in treating PTSD and bTBI in CANSOFCOM personnel.
• To assess symptom reduction using standardized clinical measures.

Main Methods:

• Eleven CANSOFCOM members received 4 sessions of ketamine infusion and bilateral CSB.
• PTSD Checklist-5 and Neurobehavioral Inventory Scale (NSI) scores were recorded pre- and post-intervention.
• NSI was administered to patients with a history of TBI.

Main Results:

• A 45.09-point average reduction in PTSD Checklist scores was observed across all 11 patients.
• An 87% average reduction in NSI scores (40.7 points) was noted in 6 patients with TBI history at 2 weeks post-intervention.
• The observed NSI reduction surpasses previously reported outcomes for bTBI treatment.

Conclusions:

• Combined ketamine infusion and bilateral CSB demonstrate significant clinical effectiveness in reducing PTSD and bTBI symptoms in the CANSOFCOM cohort.
• Early intervention and continuous evaluation are crucial for optimizing PTSD treatment outcomes.
• This combined approach presents a promising therapeutic strategy for military personnel suffering from PTSD and bTBI.