Citation

Pham TL, Chrousos GP, Merkenschlager A, Petrowski K, Ullmann E. Front. Psychiatry 2021; 12.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Frontiers Media)

DOI

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.655079

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been a worldwide chronic, stress-inducing natural catastrophe associated with increased emotional challenging. Patients with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-injury behavior, and obesity are predisposed to aggravation of their symptoms at this time, requiring new therapeutic approaches to balance their disrupted neuro-hormonal stress axis. Here we present our observations of an off-label treatment with lamotrigine in an adolescent girl with PTSD, self-injury behavior, and obesity. Lamotrigine was an efficacious pharmaceutical intervention that helped the patient deal with chronic stress and associated anxiety. The results are discussed based on our previous basic research outcomes in animals and humans that focused on the glutamate-cortisol circuits within the limbic brain. © Copyright © 2021 Pham, Chrousos, Merkenschlager, Petrowski and Ullmann.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; human; female; case report; psychotherapy; disaster; Post-traumatic stress disorder; anxiety; suicide attempt; inflammation; posttraumatic stress disorder; obesity; behavior; clinical article; automutilation; lamotrigine; heart rate; body mass; Article; chronic stress; mean arterial pressure; self-harm behavior; Patient Health Questionnaire 9