There are continuing studies in which patients ingest MDMA, the active element in ecstasy, while discussing their painful experiences. This technique seeks to promote more positive and less scary connections with these events, which may aid in recovery. Furthermore, in some animal studies, rats are lightly tortured before being injected with a protein that inhibits the enzymes in their brains that build trauma memories.
Beta-blockers, which reduce the body’s adrenaline reaction, are a particularly interesting field of research. In one tiny trial, trauma victims who were given beta-blockers within six hours of the traumatic experience had a 40% lower risk of developing PTSD. Brunet is undertaking trials in which patients take beta-blockers while discussing their trauma in order to reduce their emotional reactivity during treatment sessions. The preliminary outcomes of these trials have shown promise. However, Brunet warns that “pharmacologically, there’s no magic bullet” for PTSD. He also underlines that typical therapy is often ineffective for more severe kinds of PTSD, especially in veterans. He observes, “Treatment offered to vets might be less effective than what’s offered to civilians with trauma,” citing considerable associated challenges that veterans experience.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant complicating factor in PTSD treatment. TBI, according to researchers, may increase the brain’s susceptibility to PTSD or intensify its symptoms, such as tiredness, agitation, disorientation, and headache. However, it is still unclear if TBI makes PTSD more difficult to treat. For example, James Peterson saw a decrease in the advantages of his treatment within a month of injection, which could be related to his TBI—but this is questionable. David Hovda, director of UCLA’s Brain Injury Research Center and an adviser to the Department of Defense, summarized the current state of knowledge by asserting that “there is no cure” for TBI.
As Hovda explains:“The brain is a complex organ, and understanding the interplay between injuries and psychological conditions is still a work in progress.”
Counterintuitive Fall 2024 
I have no idea what you’re attempting here, GOAT, but it doesn’t begin to follow the instructions for the assignment. This is the original section you were assigned:
The assignment was to find, identify, and analyze the effectiveness of claims in the section you were assigned. Many examples were offered of what that would look like. Here’s one:
FACTUAL: Brunet runs trials where patients take beta-blockers while talking about trauma (the author relates the facts about the tests)
CAUSAL: so their reactions are weakened and then . . . lessened the next time it comes up (the scientists who run the study claim that the trauma dissipates with repetitions of the sessions)
EVALUATIVE: presumably (the author of the article suggests that those results might not yet be proven)
EVALUATIVE/ATTRIBUTIVE: so far with promising results (the author does not assert the results but shares the information that the scientists think the research shows promise).
—Would you like to try again for grade improvement?