PTS prevention study

What makes some people less susceptible to PTS ..? Nociceptin receptors in the amygdala. Nociceptin (NOP) is a compound found at the synapse that acts like an analgesic. Nociceptin receptors are part of the amygdala involved in conditioned fear. According to neuroscientist Raul Andero Gali, we can prevent PTSD-like symptoms from developing.

Animal model of PTS

Traumatic   ~>    Fear-Response   ~>   Extinction
   Event                 Conditioning              Training  

During extinction training, some animals unlearn fear response (freezing) more rapidly than others. Persistence of fear in absence of danger is a characteristic of PTS. So, what makes some animals less susceptible to PTS ..?

Study 1 – naturalistic observation

Study found that those who unlearn the fastest were those whose Nociceptin receptors were most active. Nociceptin is a natural occurring opiate in the brain that’s thought to dampen consolidation of fearful memories 

Study 2 – experimental method

Animals that received a drug during conditioning that activates Nociceptin receptors  quickly learned to stop fearing the tone during extinction training. NOP receptors may interfere with fear memory consolidation, with implications for prevention of PTSD after a traumatic event [link] [link].