London-based researchers are hoping to attract around 60 people for a study into a new, personalized treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study is being done in partnership between Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. For it, researchers will examine whether deep brain reorienting (DBR) treatment helps those suffering from the mental health ailment.
“In our study we are looking at ways of trauma processing at the foundation of the stress response,” said Dr. Ruth Lanius, Lawson associate scientist and Western professor. “When you are faced with a stressor the first thing you do is turn your attention to it, and when you do that you engage your head and neck muscles.”
First developed by Scottish psychiatrist Dr. Frank Corrigan, DBR focuses on the shoulder, neck, head, and face muscles as a person recalls a traumatic event. Researchers believe by processing trauma this way, when it is often quickly followed by a moment of shock, they can target the foundation of where the stress begins.
“When patients bring up a trigger in their mind, we look at what happens in terms of the tension in their head and neck. We process that gently by asking the patient to notice and stay with that tension without trying to release it, and over time the tension usually decreases,” said Lanius. “The second part involves addressing the shock response. You turn your attention to the stressor and then notice any moments of shock that follows, which is often associated with tension behind the eyes and in the shoulders.”
Following that, Lanius said visceral sensations associated with feelings and emotions associated with the stressor have to be addressed. By zeroing in on muscle and visceral responses, scientists hope PTSD sufferers will be able to better process the trauma and its triggers.
“After this form of treatment, patients often say they feel safer and don’t see themselves negatively, like they did in the past,” added Lanius. “This is because we change those intense visceral feelings and it allows the person to reevaluate who they are and how they interact with the world.”
Study participants will undergo a psychological interview and an MRI before receiving eight sessions of treatments.
PTSD affects roughly 10 per cent of people in Canada.
Anyone diagnosed with PTSD who is interested in taking part in the study is asked to contact research coordinator Suzy Southwell at 519-685-8500 ext. 35186 or suzy.southwell@lhsc.on.ca.
