Promising Pilot Study Results For Veterans With PTSD

Recent results of a Pilot Study of a new drug free therapy for treatment of PTSD - Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder - offer promising results for our nations veterans. The Pilot Study treated 26 veterans. After the treatment and follow up consults, 25 of the 26 veterans treated were free from all symptoms of PTSD, such as nightmares, flashbacks, anger, sleeplessness, and violent outbursts.

The latest New York State budget recognized the remarkable results of the study and included a grant of $800,000 to partially finance a replication study of an additional 150 veterans. Once the anticipated results are peer approved by a number of universities and other members of the scientific community (SUNY Upstate Medical, Mt. Sinai, Bradley University), the next step will be to train therapists in the protocol.

Our firm supports the Research & Recognition Project. Inc., a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to establish the protocol as "evidentiary medicine," recognition that the treatment is generally accepted in the scientific community. The human, social and economic costs of PTSD is staggering. The NYS Health-supported study, conducted by the Rand Corporation, found that veterans returning to New York State from Iraq and Afghanistan have considerable unmet health needs. Nearly one-quarter (22%) of veterans surveyed have a probable diagnosis of PTSD and/or major depression, and many veterans face barriers to seeking and receiving adequate treatment.

The New York State Senate, led by Senators Bonacic, Larkin and O'Mara, sponsored a grant in the current budget, resulted in a grant of $800,000. At his press conference to announce the grant, Senator Bonicic called the Study results a "game changer." The principal clinicians, PhDs Frank Bourke and Rick Grey, successfully treated more than 200 victims and first responders following 911. The protocol can be effectively modified to treat other forms of emotional health issues.

One of the firm's Special Counsel, Bob DiNardo, is Co-Chair of R&R's Advisory Committee and was helpful in securing the grant from New York State.