Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Oct 8:6:93-8.
doi: 10.4137/JCNSD.S13793. eCollection 2014.

Administration of an amino Acid-based regimen for the management of autonomic nervous system dysfunction related to combat-induced illness

William E Shell  1 , Marcus Charuvastra  1 , Mira Breitstein  1 , Stephanie L Pavlik  1 , Anthony Charuvastra  2 , Lawrence May  1 , David S Silver  1
Affiliations

Administration of an amino Acid-based regimen for the management of autonomic nervous system dysfunction related to combat-induced illness

William E Shell et al. J Cent Nerv Syst Dis. .

Abstract

The etiology and pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains poorly understood. The nutritional deficiencies associated with the altered metabolic processes of PTSD have not previously been studied in detail. This pilot study measured the reduction in symptoms in 21 military veterans reporting moderate to severe symptoms associated with PTSD. Two amino acid-based medical foods specifically formulated with biogenic amines and other nutrients were administered to study subjects targeting specific neurotransmitter deficiencies resulting from altered metabolic activity associated with PTSD. This study included the Physician Checklist - Military (PCL-M), Short Form General Health Survey (SF-36), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale to measure the change in each subject's score after 30 days of administration. An average decrease of 17 points was seen in the PCL-M, indicating a reduction in PTSD symptoms (P < 0.001). The mental health component of the SF-36 showed an average 57% increase in the subjects' mental health rating (P < 0.001). The results of this initial study demonstrate that addressing the increased dietary requirements of PTSD can improve symptoms of the disease while eliminating significant side effects. A larger, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial is warranted.

Keywords: Gulf War Illness; PTSD; acetylcholine; amino acids; autonomic nervous system; glutamine; serotonin.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Baseline and Day 30 mean PCL-M scores.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Baseline and Day 30 mean SF-36 mental component scores.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Baseline and Day 30 mean ESS scores.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The percent change from baseline to day 30 based on mean CERQ-short scores. The P-value did not meet the level of significance.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The percent change from baseline to day 30 based on mean SF-36 physical component scores. The P-value did not meet the level of significance.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Emmerova M, Jirava F. Is Gulf War Syndrome really a mystery? Med Confl Surviv. 2004;20(3):209–17. - PubMed
    1. Upshall DG. Gulf related illness – current perspectives. J R Army Med Corps. 2000;146(1):13–7. - PubMed
    1. Lotti M. Causes of the Gulf War syndrome: testing hypotheses. Muscle Nerve. 1999;22(6):663–5. - PubMed
    1. Enserink M. War in Iraq. Bracing for Gulf War syndrome II. Science. 2003;299(5615):1966–7. - PubMed
    1. Hunt SC, Richardson RD, McFall M. Re: the Gulf War syndrome controversy. Am J Epidemiol. 1999;150(2):216–7. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources