Home ❯ Glutamatergic modulators

Glutamatergic modulators

What are glutamatergic modulators (D-cycloserine) for PTSD?

Glutamate receptor modulators have been suggested as an adjunctive treatment to psychological exposure therapies when individuals have sub-optimal responses to these therapies. D-cycloserine is a partial N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) agonist that stimulates NMDA glutamate synapses involved in emotional learning and strengthens the fear extinction learning that takes place in exposure-based treatments.

What is the evidence on D-cycloserine for PTSD?

Moderate to low quality evidence finds no significant improvement in PTSD symptoms with D-cycloserine plus exposure-based treatment compared to placebo plus exposure-based treatment. There may be some improvement in people on serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, in people with co-occurring anxiety disorders, in people receiving more therapy sessions, and in people given earlier and greater D-cycloserine doses.

August 2021

Image: ©Sergey Tarasov- stock.adobe.com

Last updated at: 4:04 am, 15th October 2021
To view documentation related to this topic download the files below
Fact Sheet Technical Commentary

NeuRA Libraries

Title Colour Legend:
Green - Topic summary is available.
Orange - Topic summary is being compiled.
Red - Topic summary has no current systematic review available.