Benzodiazepines, a class of sedatives that includes Ativan, Xanax and Valium, may actually interfere with the brain’s ability to  consolidate memories as researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel have discovered.

When the brain is unable to recognize that specific stimuli such as sounds or smells are not always dangerous, people who have suffered trauma may continue to suffer from involuntary flashbacks. Benzodiazepines suppress cortisol, a stress hormone that is involved both in consolidating memories and involved in learning.

To further test this theory that benzodiazepines may worsen PTSD, rats subjected to extreme stress were injected with corticosterone, the rat version of cortisol. Those rats injected suffered less PTSD.

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is interested in the study because of the number of veterans who suffer from PTSD. Currently trauma victims are given sedatives such as benzodiazepines to help with sleep. Although more study needs to be done, these results could point the way to different treatment regimens for PTSD.

For more information on this, check out the article in New Scientist or read the abstract published in European Neuropsychopharmacology.