An international team of researchers has developed a drug that could help in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a mental condition that can develop when someone experiences a disturbing event or series of event . people who suffer from it experience increased anxiety depression and may have problem with their memory. Scientists say the drug could be given to someone immediately after a trauma to prevent the development of PTSD Raul AnderoGali is a researcher at Emory University in Alanta Georgia who studies PTSD He says it is the only mental disorder with a know
trigger such as a car accident or armed conflict. This means researchers have a better chance of finding a treatment. Dr.Gali and researchers at several other institutions have worked to find a gene called OPRL which releases a protein receptor in the brain of some people under stress. Dr. Gali says this receptor can cause people to experience symptoms of PTSD. The researchers experimented on nice to develop a drug that blocks the receptor and reduces anxiety and fear Dr.Gali says investigators tested the drug called SR 8993 in mice trained to fear an electric shock when ever they heard specific sound The mice became stressed when they heard the sound DR. Gali says immediately after the sound and shocks some of the mice were give SR8993 other were given a place an inactive substance Dr. Gali says the mice that got the drug showed less fear to the tone he adds however that more work is necded to find out if it is effective in humans for VOA learning English i am Carolyn Presutti