Effects of Stimulant Medications in PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating neuropsychiatric condition triggered by exposure to a traumatic exposure. Approximately 8% of the US population will experience the condition in their lifetime. At-risk populations, such as those exposed to community violence or warfare, have nearly double the risk. Despite progress in recognizing that PTSD is a disorder of neural circuits that underlie how individuals learn from the world, available treatments, including two FDA-approved medications (serotonergic antidepressants) and gold-standard evidence-based psychotherapies, help only one in five individuals reach remission. One key aspect of PTSD is difficulty in engaging in social interactions. Based on surprising evidence published in peer-reviewed manuscripts from our research programs at The University of Chicago, medications used to treat ADHD have positive effects on social interaction. Combined with promising data from biological studies of PTSD, psychostimulants used to safely treat ADHD such as Adderall (generic: mixed amphetamine salts), can help people with PTSD re-engage in social relationships that are the key to their recovery. This study will test the hypothesis that mixed amphetamine salts will acutely increase social interaction in adults with PTSD compared to placebo in a novel laboratory-based social interaction task.