Dr. Alain Brunet, from the research centre, is involved in an ambitious project, developped with Paris hospitals, to treat victims of terrorist attacks in Paris who are suffering of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. The treatment protocol, developed by Dr Brunet and his team, aims to reduce the intensity of a painful memory using a drug called propanolol. During the treatment, the painful memory is recalled while taking the drug, which acts to inhibit the reconsolidation of the highly emotional portion of the memory. The treatment takes place over a six week period and this project aims to treat over 400 people for a limited period of time.
Dr. Brunet considers PTSD should be classified as a “memory problem”: it is necessary to reduce the intensity of a painful memory to recover.
Learn more about the project in these media stories (in French):
- un article de l’Express: Stress post-traumatique: “Il doit y avoir une réponse médicale au terrorisme”
- une entrevue d’Alain Brunet avec Anne-Marie Dussault à 24/60 le 13 avril, (le segment débute à 36:10)