Kaptur, University of Toledo Outline $3.38 Million, Multi-Year PTSD Research Funding Award

TOLEDO, OH – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) and officials from The University of Toledo Health Science Campus today announced the receipt of a $3.38 million grant from the National Institute of Health, or NIH to study the mechanisms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The competitive research grant was awarded to Dr. Xin Wang, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry in the University’s College of Medicine and Life Sciences to study the early development of PTSD in trauma victims.

The competitive award supports a comprehensive research study entitled, “Study of early brain alterations that predict development of chronic PTSD,” in the amount of $755,000 for 2016, and a total of 3.38 million over a period of 4.5 years, pending oversight and review of annual congressionally-approved NIH funding levels. The NIH study section that peer-reviewed Wang’s proposal ranked it in the top 4th percentile for ‘major research’ among those competing for mental health research funding. Wang first developed this acute PTSD study in civilian automobile accident victims in 2013 with support from an NIH pilot grant, and his research at UT has drawn attention from national and international PTSD researchers.

“This is a very significant development,” said Kaptur, whose advocacy in 2006 on behalf of returning military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan led to research funds secured for what became known as the Kaptur Combat Mental Health Initiative. The Department of Defense program involved the monitoring of three thousand members of the Ohio National Guard in research coordinated by Case Western University and The University of Toledo.

“PTSD will touch all of our lives, either personally or through a loved one, friend or colleague” said Kaptur. “Combat, car accidents, blunt force trauma and contact sports are but a few examples of injuries that can lead to this condition. Dr. Wang’s research could identify and lead to new medical responses for those most likely to suffer from PTSD.”

The research will involve trauma patients from the emergency departments of The University of Toledo Medical Center and the ProMedica and Mercy Health Systems. Those who agree to be monitored for a period of a year will be evaluated using non-invasive, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology. This state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment is only available at the UTMC.
“This cutting edge technology is a safe, non-invasive and non-radioactive way to examine the brain for mechanisms of PTSD development after acute trauma,” Wang said. “Patients will be tracked for one year to identify possible changes in the brain that differentiate the PTSD development and normal recovery free of stress symptoms. We hope identify the early changes in brain that occur in the days following a trauma that place a patient at high risk of developing the disorder.”

PTSD in civilian population is increasingly recognized as a major mental health problem, with an estimated eight million adults currently suffering from some form of PTSD as a result of a traumatic event.

“PTSD can manifest itself in a number of symptoms ranging from nightmares and flashbacks to paranoia, irritability and difficulty concentrating, said Wang. “Patients experiencing PTSD can find it to be relatively minor or totally disruptive to everyday activities. It is our goal to monitor brain changes that occur during the progression of PTSD symptoms to develop future preventative or curative treatments and improve the lives of those who experience a traumatic event.”

Kaptur is a senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee, which has responsibility for funding and oversight of the National Institutes of Health.

For more information on The University of Toledo and Dr. Wang, please contact Rebecca Schwan, Media Relations Specialist, University of Toledo, at 419-383-5376 (o) or 419-388-5145 (cell)

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