Reconsolidation and Consolidation Therapies for the Treatment and Prevention of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Key Message

The evidence about the clinical effectiveness of reconsolidation and consolidation therapies for the treatment and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is uncertain because these therapies include a wide range of interventions and the study results varied widely.

The results from 1 systematic review suggest there were significantly greater improvements in PTSD severity in patients treated with reconsolidation therapy versus control. However, 3 other systematic reviews reported conflicting findings with some reconsolidation therapies indicating significant improvements in PTSD symptoms or severity versus control, whereas other reconsolidation therapies had no significantly different outcomes than the control groups.

There was limited evidence suggesting that multi-modular motion-assisted memory desensitization and reprocessing therapy reduced PTSD symptoms in veterans with treatment-resistant and combat-related PTSD; however, the significance of these results was not reported.

There was limited evidence suggesting a significant difference in PTSD incidence in favour of adults exposed to trauma treated with hydrocortisone versus control. There were no significant differences in PTSD incidence between adults exposed to trauma treated with any 1 of propranolol, omega-3 fatty acids, gabapentin, or paroxetine versus placebo.