2024
Microglia-mediated neuroimmune suppression in PTSD is associated with anhedonia
Bonomi R, Hillmer A, Woodcock E, Bhatt S, Rusowicz A, Angarita G, Carson R, Davis M, Esterlis I, Nabulsi N, Huang Y, Krystal J, Pietrzak R, Cosgrove K. Microglia-mediated neuroimmune suppression in PTSD is associated with anhedonia. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2024, 121: e2406005121. PMID: 39172786, PMCID: PMC11363315, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2406005121.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPTSD groupPrefrontal-limbic circuitsNeuroimmune responseAssociated with anhedoniaPosttraumatic stress disorderPositron emission tomography brain imagingTranslocator protein availabilityBrain immune functionAnhedonic symptomsStress disorderPeripheral immune dysfunctionPTSDGroup differencesSeverity of symptomsPsychiatric diseasesTranslocator proteinBrain imagingAdministration of lipopolysaccharideSymptomsMicroglial markersLPS-induced increaseCompared to controlsImmune functionSickness symptomsAnhedoniaHelping the Helpers: Mental Health Challenges of Psychosocial Support Workers During the Russian-Ukrainian War
Kang H, Fischer I, Esterlis I, Kolyshkina A, Ponomarenko L, Chobanian A, Vus V, Pietrzak R. Helping the Helpers: Mental Health Challenges of Psychosocial Support Workers During the Russian-Ukrainian War. Disaster Medicine And Public Health Preparedness 2024, 18: e95. PMID: 38829179, DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2024.68.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychosocial support workersPosttraumatic stress disorderAssociated with greater oddsPresence of meaning in lifeMeaning in lifeSuicidal ideationMental health challengesGreater oddsMental healthLow optimismSupport workersHealth challengesMental health problemsCorrelates of burnoutPromote social connectednessStress disorderPsychosocial characteristicsGreater distressWar exposureGeneral populationHealth problemsSocial connectednessBurnoutOddsSocial relationships
2023
Subjective cognitive difficulties and posttraumatic stress disorder interact to increase suicide risk among middle-aged and older US military veterans
Cations M, Cook J, Nichter B, Esterlis I, Pietrzak R. Subjective cognitive difficulties and posttraumatic stress disorder interact to increase suicide risk among middle-aged and older US military veterans. International Psychogeriatrics 2023, 36: 599-607. PMID: 36756753, DOI: 10.1017/s1041610222001053.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPosttraumatic stress disorderSubjective cognitive difficultiesCurrent suicidal intentSuicidal intentSuicidal ideationPatient Health Questionnaire-9Suicide riskStress disorderCurrent posttraumatic stress disorderMilitary veteransCross-sectional studyUnited States military veteransUS military veteransCognitive Functioning ScaleOlder U.S. veteransCognitive difficultiesSubjective cognitive impairmentQuestionnaire-9US veteransNational HealthSuicide Behaviors QuestionnaireOlder veteransCognitive impairmentConcentration difficultiesU.S. veterans
2022
Imaging the effect of ketamine on synaptic density (SV2A) in the living brain
Holmes SE, Finnema SJ, Naganawa M, DellaGioia N, Holden D, Fowles K, Davis M, Ropchan J, Emory P, Ye Y, Nabulsi N, Matuskey D, Angarita GA, Pietrzak RH, Duman RS, Sanacora G, Krystal JH, Carson RE, Esterlis I. Imaging the effect of ketamine on synaptic density (SV2A) in the living brain. Molecular Psychiatry 2022, 27: 2273-2281. PMID: 35165397, PMCID: PMC9133063, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01465-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsKetamine's therapeutic effectsMajor depressive disorderTherapeutic effectPositron emission tomographyPosttraumatic stress disorderHealthy controlsSynaptic connectionsSynaptic vesicle protein 2APost-synaptic mechanismsEffects of ketamineDiscovery of ketamineNon-human primatesAntidepressant effectsDepressive disorderSingle administrationSynaptic densityPsychiatric disordersDepression severityKetamineEmission tomographyTerminal densityLiving brainStress disorderRobust reductionDissociative symptomsDifferential Role of mGluR5 in Cognitive Processes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression
Esterlis I, DeBonee S, Cool R, Holmes S, Baldassari SR, Maruff P, Pietrzak RH, Davis MT. Differential Role of mGluR5 in Cognitive Processes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression. Chronic Stress 2022, 6: 24705470221105804. PMID: 35958037, PMCID: PMC9358555, DOI: 10.1177/24705470221105804.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPosttraumatic stress disorderMajor depressive disorderHealthy adultsCognitive functioningFrontolimbic regionsStress disorderCognitive AssessmentCognitive alterationsPoor attentionCognitionMGluR5 availabilityRobust literatureDiagnostic groupsDifferent domainsMetabotropic glutamate receptor type 5Positron emission tomography scanDepressive disorderEmission tomography scanDisordersFunctioningRelationshipSmoking statusTomography scanParticipantsAdults
2021
The hidden burden of social anxiety disorder in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
Byrne SP, Fogle BM, Asch R, Esterlis I, Harpaz-Rotem I, Tsai J, Pietrzak RH. The hidden burden of social anxiety disorder in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Journal Of Affective Disorders 2021, 291: 9-14. PMID: 34022553, DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.088.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsU.S. military veteransPsychiatric comorbidityPsychiatric disordersSuicidal ideationU.S. veteransAnxiety disordersComorbid psychiatric disordersMilitary veteransLifetime major depressionImportance of screeningPrevalent mental disordersSocial anxiety disorderMental health functioningCurrent suicidal ideationMeasures of functioningPosttraumatic stress disorderLifetime social anxiety disorderIncremental burdenMultivariable analysisPsychiatric morbidityNational HealthRepresentative sampleMajor depressionFunctional impairmentPsychiatric historyAcute cognitive effects of single-dose intravenous ketamine in major depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder
Davis MT, DellaGiogia N, Maruff P, Pietrzak RH, Esterlis I. Acute cognitive effects of single-dose intravenous ketamine in major depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder. Translational Psychiatry 2021, 11: 205. PMID: 33833217, PMCID: PMC8032778, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01327-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderExecutive functionStress disorderCognitive functionSingle-dose intravenous ketamineAcute cognitive effectsLarge magnitude improvementsPTSD relativeCognitive measuresCognitive domainsPTSD individualsMemory performanceCognitive effectsYears of educationBaseline performanceCognitive declineHealthy controlsPsychiatric distressCognitive dysfunctionHC individualsHC groupDepressive symptomsMemory 2Subanesthetic doseMajor depressiveRisk and resilience factors associated with traumatic loss-related PTSD in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
Asch RH, Esterlis I, Southwick SM, Pietrzak RH. Risk and resilience factors associated with traumatic loss-related PTSD in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Psychiatry Research 2021, 298: 113775. PMID: 33578060, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113775.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderU.S. military veteransAttachment styleResilience factorsMilitary veteransPTSD symptom severitySomatic symptomsTraumatic eventsStress disorderPsychosocial correlatesPositive screenVeterans StudyNational HealthSudden deathSymptom severityTherapeutic targetU.S. veteransStrongest correlate
2020
PET Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Protein 2A
Finnema S, Li S, Cai Z, Naganawa M, Chen M, Matuskey D, Nabulsi N, Esterlis I, Holmes S, Radhakrishnan R, Toyonaga T, Huang Y, Carson R. PET Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Protein 2A. 2020, 993-1019. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-53176-8_29.ChaptersSynaptic vesicle protein 2APositron emission tomographyAntiepileptic drug levetiracetamInitial PET studiesPET imagingPET studiesSynaptic densityDrug levetiracetamHigh-affinity SV2A ligandsBrain regionsSynaptic density lossNeuropathological diseasesDisease-modifying therapiesLarge patient cohortMajor depressive disorderProtein 2APET imaging resultsPosttraumatic stress disorderPatient groupPatient cohortDepressive disorderClinical valueParkinson's diseaseEfficacy assessmentSynaptic vesicle proteinsPTSD is associated with neuroimmune suppression: evidence from PET imaging and postmortem transcriptomic studies
Bhatt S, Hillmer AT, Girgenti MJ, Rusowicz A, Kapinos M, Nabulsi N, Huang Y, Matuskey D, Angarita GA, Esterlis I, Davis MT, Southwick SM, Friedman MJ, Duman R, Carson R, Krystal J, Pietrzak R, Cosgrove K. PTSD is associated with neuroimmune suppression: evidence from PET imaging and postmortem transcriptomic studies. Nature Communications 2020, 11: 2360. PMID: 32398677, PMCID: PMC7217830, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15930-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAcetamidesAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingAdultBrainCase-Control StudiesFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHealthy VolunteersHumansMaleMicrogliaMiddle AgedPositron-Emission TomographyPyridinesRadiopharmaceuticalsReceptors, GABAReceptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14Sex FactorsStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticYoung AdultConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderPeripheral immune activationImmune activationHigher C-reactive protein levelsC-reactive protein levelsTSPO availabilityTranslocator proteinBrain microglial activationTomography brain imagingStress-related pathophysiologyPositron emission tomography (PET) brain imagingNeuroimmune activationMicroglial activationPTSD symptom severityImmunologic regulationPostmortem studiesPTSD subgroupHealthy individualsSymptom severityTrauma exposurePTSD groupStress disorderLower relative expressionBrain imagingPET imaging