CLINICIAN'S TRAUMA UPDATE Online
Issue 20(1), FEBRUARY 2026
For COMPLETE summaries, see this month's CTU-Online.
Treatment
New studies of patients’ subjective experiences of psychedelics for PTSD
Psychedelic interventions are under active investigation as possible treatments for Veterans with PTSD and co-occurring conditions. Two new studies explored patients’ experiences of taking psilocybin or ibogaine. Read this
A more rigorous study of 3MDR
Multi-modular motion-assisted memory desensitization and reconsolidation (3MDR) is a relatively new treatment that involves virtual reality exposure to trauma-related images while walking on a treadmill and performing a dual-attention task. Investigators at the National Psychotrauma Center in The Netherlands conducted the first RCT to compare 3MDR to an active control. Read this
Impact of addressing MST among sexual minority women Veterans
Investigators at the VA San Diego Healthcare System recently reported a study that compared outcomes of MST-related PTSD treatment between sexual minority women Veterans versus heterosexual women Veterans. CTU-Online.
Social determinants of health impact treatment engagement
Social determinants of health are non-medical factors that may impact physical or mental health. Researchers at the San Francisco VAMC examined whether three specific social determinants (homelessness, socioeconomic disadvantage, and rurality) influenced receipt of psychotherapy for Veterans with PTSD in VA care. Read this
Comparing three types of TMS
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been investigated for PTSD for over 20 years. However, studies have differed in the type of TMS used, including location, frequency and amount of stimulation provided. A team of investigators working with the VA Clinical TMS Program examined PTSD outcomes for different TMS approaches in order to determine the comparative effectiveness of each one. Read this CTU-Online.
Examining whether stellate ganglion block augments CPT
Stellate ganglion block (SBG) is a long-acting local anesthetic injection that has shown initial promise in treating PTSD-related symptoms. A team led by investigators from The Ohio State University studied whether SGB could augment CPT. Read this CTU-Online.
Impact of consultation following PE training varies based on clinical presentation
An implementation trial found that providers who received consultation in addition to PE training used PE more often and their patients had better outcomes. A secondary analysis led by National Center for PTSD investigators explored whether providers who received consultation use PE with a broader range of clinical presentations and achieve better outcomes with those populations compared to providers who did not receive consultation. Read this CTU-Online.
Take Note
Systematic review of treatment of MST-related PTSD in women
Investigators from Kings College London and Centre for Applied Military Health Research conducted a systematic review of 12 treatment studies in women Veterans with military sexual trauma-related PTSD. Read the article.
Meta-analysis of relationship between changes in trauma-related cognitions and PTSD outcomes
Investigators from University of New South Wales in Australia conducted a meta-analysis of the relationship between changes in trauma-related cognitions and PTSD severity in trauma-focused psychotherapies, along with moderators of this relationship. Read the article.
Meta-analysis of non-medication interventions for PTSD and chronic pain
An international team of experts in PTSD and chronic pain conducted a meta-analysis of 30 studies of nonpharmacological interventions for co-occurring chronic pain and PTSD. Interventions included ones targeting only PTSD, only pain, or both, but all reported both pain intensity and PTSD as outcomes. Read the article.
Meta-analysis of dropout from specific PTSD treatments
Investigators from Idaho State University conducted a meta-analysis of dropout rates among Veteran and military populations for specific PTSD treatments. Read the article.
Meta-analysis of phase-based versus trauma-focused treatment for childhood trauma-related PTSD
Investigators at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia conducted a meta-analysis compared treatment completion and PTSD symptom improvement following phase-based versus trauma-focused treatment in patients with childhood trauma-related PTSD. Read the article
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The Clinician's Trauma Update, CTU-Online, is an electronic newsletter produced by the National Center for PTSD, Department of Veterans Affairs. CTU-Online provides summaries of clinically relevant publications in the trauma field with links to published abstracts or full text articles when available. Please send any feedback to sadie.larsen@va.gov
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