Neuroimmune and cortisol changes in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and placebo treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: To explore relations between neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems relative to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment, cortisol and cytokine changes in response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and placebo treatment of chronic PTSD were assessed prospectively.

Methods: Baseline measures of PTSD, depression, salivary 8 am and 4 pm cortisol, and serum interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta; pro-inflammatory) and soluble interleukin-2 receptors (IL-2R; cell-mediated immunity) were obtained for 58 PTSD and 21 control subjects. The PTSD subjects participated in a 10-week, double-blind treatment with citalopram (n = 19), sertraline (n = 18), or placebo (n = 7).

Using telerehabilitation to promote TBI recovery and transfer of knowledge.

Advances in the design and delivery of trauma care and acute medical management have increased the number of survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI), producing societal consequences and medical challenges. Although access to health care for rural patients remains a critical challenge, teletherapy may represent a viable means for the delivery of therapeutic services to such patients. A case study is presented in which teletherapy was successfully utilized to improve the functional outcomes, both physical and cognitive, of a patient with a severe TBI.

Current directions in computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation.

Technological advances over the past decade have given rise to the development of multiple computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation programs. While results of investigations examining the efficacy of such techniques have been mixed, a positive trend for utilization of these procedures has been demonstrated. This review provides a discussion of the progression of research in this area, from anecdotal studies to controlled empirical investigations.