Clinical Neurosciences Division Research

The Clinical Neurosciences Division is located in West Haven, CT. The Division specializes in researching the physical basis of how the brain receives and processes traumatic stress, including neurobiology, brain imaging, genetic epidemiology, and pharmacotherapy.The Division makes important advances in understanding the neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience, and molecular genetics involved in stress vulnerability and stress resilience.

In the area of pharmacology, several investigations are examining combinations of drugs in treatment of stress-related disorders. VA Cooperative Study #504 is being conducted at 20 VA Medical Centers across the country. It involves treatment of veterans with PTSD using risperidone in combination with an antidepressant. Another treatment trial is comparing a selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitor and desipramine, with or without naltrexone, for the treatment of PTSD and co-morbid alcohol misuse; this study has enrolled over 115 subjects from two VA medical centers. Data collection has now been completed in a project involving treatment of PTSD in Vietnam veterans using the alpha-2 adrenergic agonist guanfacine and an antidepressant. Finally, the Division recently completed an investigation of the efficacy of post-stress carbohydrate administration for the recovery of stress-induced deficits in cognitive operations. These studies will lead to treatment options for veterans and other victims of trauma.

The Division continues to investigate vulnerability to stress-related disorders. Knowing what factors make some individuals more vulnerable to PTSD will aid in the development of preventative strategies. Studies have been conducted looking at the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, including social support and trauma history. One important study investigated the interaction of childhood maltreatment, the level of social support, and certain genetic factors in increasing the risk of depression. The study found that the so-called Òrisk allelesÓ (both the ÒsÓ allele of the 5HTTLPR gene and the Met allele of the BDNF gene), in the absence of childhood maltreatment, did not increase the risk for depression. Importantly, the ÒsÓ allele of 5HTTLPR also increased the risk for early alcohol consumption in maltreated children, but not in those who were not maltreated.

The National Center remains an active participant in a consortium aimed at developing a Brain Bank at the USUHS. The Brain Bank collects and stores brain tissue from deceased persons who had PTSD and uses the samples to study the molecular and cellular basis of PTSD. Collaborative work with YaleÕs PET Center has also led to new interesting findings.