Translation of animal endocannabinoid models of PTSD mechanisms to humans: Where to next?

Abstract

The endocannabinoid system is known to be involved in mechanisms relevant to PTSD aetiology and maintenance, though this understanding is mostly based on animal models of the disorder. Here we review how human paradigms can successfully translate animal findings to human subjects, with the view that substantially increased insight into the effect of endocannabinoid signalling on stress responding, emotional and intrusive memories, and fear extinction can be gained using modern paradigms and methods for assessing the state of the endocannabinoid system in PTSD.

Keywords: Cannabinoids; Endocannabinoids; Fear conditioning; Memory; PTSD; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Stress.