title: Glutamate dysregulation and glutamatergic therapeutics for PTSD: Evidence from human studies.
abstract: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disorder afflicting millions of individuals across the world. While the availability of robust pharmacologic interventions is quite lacking, our understanding of the putative neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD has significantly increased over the past two decades. Accumulating evidence demonstrates aberrant glutamatergic function in mood, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders and dysfunction in glutamate neurotransmission is increasingly considered a cardinal feature of stress-related psychiatric disorders including PTSD. As part of a PTSD Special Issue, this mini-review provides a concise discussion of (1) evidence of glutamatergic abnormalities in PTSD, with emphasis on human subjects data; (2) glutamate-modulating agents as potential alternative pharmacologic treatments for PTSD; and (3) selected gaps in the literature and related future directions.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA. Electronic address: lynnette.averill@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Lynnette A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Averill
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
authors.forename: Prerana
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Purohit
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Averill
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
authors.forename: Markus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Boesl
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Krystal
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
authors.forename: Chadi G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Abdallah
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000502:physiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
keywords: GABA; Glutamate; Glutamine; Ketamine; NMDA; Neurobiology; Neurotransmission; Novel therapeutics; Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Treatment; d-Cycloserine