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Related Experiment Videos

Fluoxetine in posttraumatic stress disorder

B A van der Kolk1, D Dreyfuss, M Michaels

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|December 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Fluoxetine significantly reduced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a 5-week trial. This serotonin reuptake blocker was particularly effective for patients without prior chronic treatment histories.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition.
  • Serotonin reuptake blockers are a class of antidepressants.
  • The efficacy of fluoxetine for PTSD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish the efficacy of fluoxetine in treating PTSD.
  • To assess fluoxetine's impact on PTSD symptomatology.
  • To evaluate fluoxetine's effectiveness in different patient subgroups.

Main Methods:

  • A 5-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
  • 64 participants diagnosed with PTSD were included.
  • Participants received either fluoxetine (N=33) or a placebo (N=31).

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Main Results:

  • Fluoxetine significantly reduced overall PTSD symptoms by Week 5.
  • Improvements were most notable in arousal and numbing symptoms.
  • Non-VA patients showed a better response to fluoxetine compared to VA patients.
  • Fluoxetine demonstrated antidepressant effects independent of PTSD symptom reduction.

Conclusions:

  • Fluoxetine is an effective pharmacotherapeutic option for PTSD.
  • The drug is particularly beneficial for patients without extensive prior treatment.
  • Fluoxetine addresses PTSD and associated psychological features.