Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Trial
— TESmTBIOfficial title:
Passive Electrical Neurofeedback Treatment of mTBI: MEG and Behavioral Outcomes
Verified date | December 2023 |
Source | VA Office of Research and Development |
Contact | n/a |
Is FDA regulated | No |
Health authority | |
Study type | Interventional |
mTBI is a leading cause of sustained physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits in OEF/OIF/OND Veterans and the general public. However, the underlying pathophysiology is not completely understood, and there are few effective treatments for post-concussive symptoms (PCS). In addition, there are substantial overlaps between PCS and PTSD symptoms in mTBI. IASIS is among a class of passive neurofeedback treatments that combine low-intensity pulses for transcranial electrical stimulation (LIP-tES) with EEG monitoring. Nexalin is another tES technique , with FDA approvals for treating insomnia, depression, and anxiety. LIP-tES techniques have shown promising results in alleviating PCS individuals with TBI. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of LIP-tES treatment in TBI are unknown, owing to the dearth of neuroimaging investigations of this therapeutic intervention. Conventional neuroimaging techniques such as MRI and CT have limited sensitivity in detecting physiological abnormalities caused by mTBI, or in assessing the efficacy of mTBI treatments. In acute and chronic phases, CT and MRI are typically negative even in mTBI patients with persistent PCS. In contrast, evidence is mounting in support of resting-state magnetoencephalography (rs-MEG) slow-wave source imaging (delta-band, 1-4 Hz) as a marker for neuronal abnormalities in mTBI. The primary goal of the present application is to use rs-MEG to identify the neural underpinnings of behavioral changes associated with IASIS treatment in Veterans with mTBI. Using a double-blind placebo controlled design, the investigators will study changes in abnormal MEG slow-waves before and after IASIS treatment (relative to a 'sham' treatment group) in Veterans with mTBI. For a subset of participants who may have remaining TBI symptoms at the end of all IASIS treatment sessions, MEG slow-wave changes will be recorded before and after additional Nexalin treatment. In addition, the investigators will examine treatment-related changes in PCS, PTSD symptoms, neuropsychological test performances, and their association with changes in MEG slow-waves. The investigators for the first time will address a fundamental question about the mechanism of slow-waves in brain injury, namely whether slow-wave generation in wakefulness is merely a negative consequence of neuronal injury or if it is a signature of ongoing neuronal rearrangement and healing that occurs at the site of the injury.
Status | Completed |
Enrollment | 66 |
Est. completion date | September 30, 2022 |
Est. primary completion date | September 30, 2022 |
Accepts healthy volunteers | Accepts Healthy Volunteers |
Gender | All |
Age group | 18 Years to 60 Years |
Eligibility | Inclusion Criteria: Inclusion of Veterans for the mTBI groups: - All symptomatic mTBI patients will be evaluated in a clinical interview to document the nature of the injuries and ongoing PCS. - The diagnosis of mTBI patients is based on standard VA/DOD diagnostic criteria. - Inclusion in the mTBI patient group requires a TBI that meets the following criteria: - a loss of consciousness (LOC) < 30 minutes or transient confusion, disorientation, or impaired consciousness immediately after the trauma - post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) < 24 hours - an initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) [90] between 13-15 (if available) - Since the GCS assessment is often not available in theater, Veterans with missing GCS, but who meet other inclusion criteria will also be recruited. - Each patient must have at least 3 items of persistent PCS at the beginning of the study. Inclusion of Healthy Control (HC) group: - Veterans that qualify as HCs will be age, education, combat exposure, and socioeconomically matched to the mTBI groups. - In addition to exclusion criteria listed above, HC subjects must not have been diagnosed with head injury, affective disorder, or PTSD (CAPS-5 < 8) throughout life. Exclusion Criteria: - Exclusion criteria for study participations include: - history of other neurological, developmental, or psychiatric disorders (based on the DSM-5 (MINI-7) [86] structured interview), e.g.,: - brain tumor - stroke - epilepsy - Alzheimer's disease - schizophrenia - bipolar disorder - ADHD - or other chronic neurovascular diseases such as hypertension and diabetes - substance or alcohol use disorders according to DSM-5 [87] criteria within the six months prior to the study - history of metabolic or other diseases known to affect the central nervous system (see [88] for similar criteria) - Metal objects (e.g., shrapnel or metal fragments) that fail MRI screening, or extensive metal dental hardware, e.g.,: - braces and large metal dentures - fillings are acceptable - other metal objects in the head - neck, or face areas that cause non-removable artifacts in the MEG data - Potential subjects will be administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) to evaluate level of depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation - any participant who reports a "2" or "3" on the BDI-II: item 9 (suicidal thoughts or wishes) will also be excluded. - However, depression following mTBI or traumatic event of PTSD is common [89]: therefore, in two mTBI groups, the investigators will include and match patients with depression symptoms reported after their injury/event, and will co-vary BDI-II score in data analyses. |
Country | Name | City | State |
---|---|---|---|
United States | VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA | San Diego | California |
Lead Sponsor | Collaborator |
---|---|
VA Office of Research and Development | San Diego Veterans Healthcare System |
United States,
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* Note: There are 13 references in all — Click here to view all references
Type | Measure | Description | Time frame | Safety issue |
---|---|---|---|---|
Primary | Change in Abnormal Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Slow-Waves (1-4 Hz) Activity | We will develop a voxel-wise whole brain MEG source imaging approach for detecting abnormal Magnetoencephalography (MEG) slow-waves (1-4 Hz) in mTBI Veterans. The unit of the abnormal MEG source activity was measured in pico Ampere-meter (or pA-m which is 10^(-12) A-m). Natural logarithm transformation (i.e., e-based) was used. So, the unit of the MEG source imaging was log(pA-m). The range of the voxel-wise MEG source activity scale is 0-10. High amplitude of the MEG source activity suggests more serious injury. In the present study, we measured the Difference score in MEG exam pre- vs post the transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) treatment. Our primary measure is the reduction of the abnormal MEG source activity for slow waves (1-4 Hz), defined as the MEG activity at the pre-TES exam minus that at the post-TES exam. So, the higher this difference score is, the better outcomes due to the TES treatment in reducing the abnormal MEG signal. | Baseline through end of treatment, an average of 6 weeks | |
Primary | Rivermead Post Concussion Symptom Questionnaire | The Rivermead Post Concussion Symptom Questionnaire (RPQ) total score was used to assess change in post-concussion symptoms due to TES. Our focus in this analysis was the difference score in RPQ total score pre- vs post-treatment measures.
The questionnaire has 16 items and uses scale of 0 - 4, with 0 as "not experienced at all" and 4 as "a severe problem." Value range: 0 - 64, where the higher scores mean a worse outcome. For this measure, we focused on the difference score: total score from prior to treatment minus total score from end of treatment. Therefore, the higher the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Baseline through end of treatment, an average of 6 weeks | |
Primary | Neurobehavioral Symptoms Inventory | The Neurobehavioral Symptoms Inventory (NSI) total score was used to assess the changes of post-concussion symptoms due to TES. Our focus in this analysis was the difference score in NSI total score pre- vs post-treatment measures.
The NSI has 22 items and uses a response scale of 0 - 4, with 0 as "none" and 4 as "very severe." Value range: 0 - 88, where the higher scores mean a worse outcome/more severe post-concussive symptoms. For this measure, we focused on the difference score: total score from prior to treatment minus total score from end of treatment. Therefore, the higher the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Baseline through end of treatment, an average of 6 weeks | |
Secondary | The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MGPQ) | The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MGPQ) will evaluate the level of current pain, pain changes over time, and strength of pain, since pain is frequently co-morbid with mTBI.
Category scores range from 1-2 through 1-6. Minimum score = 0. Maximum score = 78. The higher the pain score, the greater the pain. For this measure, we focused on the difference score: total score from prior to treatment minus total score from end of treatment. Therefore, the higher the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Baseline through end of treatment, an average of 6 weeks | |
Secondary | Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) | The CAPS-5 is a standard semi-structured interview used to assess PTSD diagnosis and severity. The primary traumatic event is elicited and will be used as the basis of assessing PTSD symptoms. The total symptom severity score is calculated by summing severity scores assessed in this 30-item questionnaire. PTSD diagnostic status will be assessed using the past month version of the CAPS-5A, in which total severity score of 33 or higher indicates full threshold PTSD. The past week version of the CAPS-5 will be given prior to treatment and at follow-up.
Severity scores range on a response scale of 0-5, 0=absent, 5=extreme/incapacitating. CAPS-55 summary scores range from 0 to 80, with the higher scores indicating greater severity of PTSD symptoms. For this measure, we focused on the difference score: total score from prior to treatment minus total score from end of treatment. Therefore, the higher the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Up to 6 weeks | |
Secondary | Post-Concussion Check List (PCL-5) | PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the 20 DSM-5 symptoms of PTSD. The PCL-5 uses a response scale of 0 - 4. 0 = "Not at all" to 4 = "Extremely." The total score can range from 0 - 80, with the higher the score corresponding to a higher level of distress to the very stressful experience. The difference between scores post-treatment and pre-treatment will analyzed in addition to the CAPS-5 (1 week version) outcomes. DSM-5 symptom cluster severity scores can be obtained by summing the scores for the items within a given cluster, i.e., cluster B (items 1-5), cluster C (items 6-7), cluster D (items 8-14), and cluster E (items 15-20); these subscale scores may be used in secondary analysis. | Up to 6 weeks | |
Secondary | California Verbal Learning Test-2nd Edition - Free Recall Total Correct T-score | We will use T-scores from verbal learning and retrospective memory (California Verbal Learning Test-2nd Edition). Alternate CVLT forms were used during the post-treatment session.
T-score ranges from 5 to 95, where the higher the T-score, the better the outcome. The T-score indicates the number of standard deviations away from the mean, where 50 is the mean with a standard deviation of 10, and is age- and gender-corrected. Analysis was based on the difference score between pre-treatment and post-treatment Free Recall Total Correct T-score. The lower the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Up to 6 weeks | |
Secondary | Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-4th Edition (WAIS-IV) Processing Speed Index | We will use the sum of scaled scores from the WAIS-IV Symbol Search and Coding subtests to attain the Processing Speed Index.
PSI ranged from 50 - 150, where the higher the score, the better the outcome. Analysis was based on the difference score between pre-treatment Processing Speed Index and post-treatment Processing Speed Index. The lower the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Up to 6 weeks | |
Secondary | Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS) - Trail Number/Letter Switching Scaled | Throughout the study, we used DKEFS Verbal Fluency, Trail-Making, and Color-Word Interference subtests to assess executive functioning.
Analysis was based on the DKEFS Trailmaking Number/Letter Switching scaled score. Scaled scores range from 1-19, where the higher the scaled score, the better the outcome. Analysis was based on the difference score between pre-treatment scaled score and the post-treatment scaled score. The lower the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Up to 6 weeks | |
Secondary | Connors Continuous Performance Task II (CPT-II) - Inattention Omissions T-Score | The Connors Continuous Performance Task II (CPT-II) was included as a measure of attention and impulsivity.
In this measure, converted T-scores represent the score of the individual relative to the population, who are of the same gender and same age group. A T-score of 50 represents the average for the comparison group. T-score ranges from under 40 (very good performance) to 65+ (markedly atypical). The higher the scores, the worse the performance. This analysis focused on the difference score between the Inattention Omissions T-score pre- and post-treatment. The higher the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Up to 6 weeks | |
Secondary | Barratt Impulsivity Scale | Impulsivity was also measured by Barratt Impulsivity Scale, a self-report questionnaire.
This scale contains 30 items, with total scores that range from 30 - 120. The higher the score, the worse the outcome. Analysis was based on the difference score between pre- and post-treatment. The higher the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Up to 6 weeks | |
Secondary | Frontal Systems Behavior Scale | Since frontal lobe areas are more prone to damage, the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) will measure behavioral dysfunction associated with frontal subcortical impairment.
FrSBe is a 46-item rating scale with three subscales: Apathy (14 items), Disinhibition (15 items), and Executive Function (17 items). Items are rated in a 5-point scale, where higher scores mean a worse outcome. The raw scores of these subscales were converted to T-scores, with range of 9 - >/= 140, where T-scores greater than 65 are considered clinically significant. For this measure, we focused on the difference score of the total T-score prior to treatment minus total score from end of treatment. Therefore, the higher the difference score, the more positive change was observed. |
Baseline through end of treatment, an average of 6 weeks |
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