Pharmacological Evaluation of Orexin Antagonist in the Experimental Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder, which develops in reaction to an actual or perceived traumatic event. According to DSM-5, the characteristic symptoms of PTSD include hyperarousal, fear response, and recurrence of aversive thoughts. The pathophysiology of PTSD includes abnormalities in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis function and monoaminergic system. Pharmacotherapy of PTSD involves selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline and paroxetine based on the monoaminergic theory. However, these drugs are useful only for 30 percent of PTSD patients and are effective only against limited symptoms of PTSD.