Could Blueberries Help Mitigate PTSD Problems?

From your 23% chance of survivors getting PTSD, is your doctor doing anything to alleviate those problems? Do not do this on your own, it would be dangerous, only tested in rats.
http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/news/2016/04/could-blueberries-help-mitigate-ptsd-problems?
 Rats fed a diet rich in blueberries saw changes in levels of a gene associated with an increased risk of suicide, suggesting patients who suffer from problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder could benefit from the fruit.
Senior author Joseph Francis, Ph.D. professor of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University, spoke with Bioscience Technology and cautioned that there is still a strong need for clinical trials, but based on the animal studies, blueberries may help reduce certain drivers of suicide and depression associated with PTSD.
The study was presented Tuesday at the Experimental Biology 2016 meeting in San Diego, by Philip Ebenezer, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in Francis’ laboratory
The focal point of the research is a gene called SKA2.  This gene is expressed in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, an area involved in inhibiting negative thoughts and keeping impulsive behavior in check.  SKA2’s job is to shuttle stress hormone receptors to the cell membrane to perform this function.  If SKA2 isn’t doing its job, or is being expressed at very low levels, the stress hormone receptor can’t stop the release of cortisol throughout the brain, possibly preventing people from overcoming the feeling of being stressed out. Previous research has shown that SKA2 is expressed at lower levels in those who have committed suicide.

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PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a person experiences a traumatic event and it is particularly common among combat veterans.
While it is impossible to determine if an animal will commit suicide, the researchers developed rats that exhibited symptoms analogous to PTSD, such as hiding in fear when presented an unfamiliar object instead of showing curiosity.   The team used the PTSD-like animal model to examine if SKA2 levels in the rats were lower than regular laboratory rats, and if blueberries were able to protect against the reduction in SKA2.
Francis found that indeed, the rats who had been induced to exhibit PTSD-like symptoms expressed significantly lower levels of SKA2, compared to non-PTSD-like rats. After being fed blueberries, the equivalent of about two cups per day for a person, for 30 days, the researchers saw an increase in SKA2 levels compared to those eating a regular diet.
“In the PTSD animals, there was a decrease in the SKA2 levels in the blood, as well as in the brain’s prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, compared to non-PTSD rats,” Francis said in a statement.  “Since these levels increased when we fed them blueberries, the findings suggest that a nonpharmacological agent like blueberries can have an effect on the expression of this important gene.”
The team previously showed that diet rich in blueberries also increased levels of serotonin, a signaling chemical associated with feelings of well-being and happiness, in the brain of PTSD-like rats.  Francis and Ebenezer will continue to investigate links between SKA2 and serotonin levels, to see if there one biological pathway through which blueberries may alleviate feelings of depression and decrease suicidal tendencies.
Francis told Bioscience Technology that while clinical trials are needed, finding funding is a problem.  The team is exploring other ways such as talking to clinicians, and would be “more than happy” to work with any company that is interested in funding clinical trials for this research.
In the meantime, Francis continues to pursue his animal research.  Currently they are examining rats fed blueberry-rich diets for various lengths of time to see how long the protection lasts.  The data has not been presented yet, but for example, one group is fed the high-blueberry diet for 90 days, while one group receives 60 days of the blueberry treatment and 30 days of no treatment.  Another group has 30 days on the blueberry diet, and 30 days of regular diet.  At the end of 60 days the team will examine a number of factors including oxidative stress, inflammation, and behavior.
Additionally the team is interested in doing brain imaging studies to see if there are alterations that can be changed by blueberries