View clinical trials related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Filter by:Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an acquired psychiatric condition that occurs after exposure to a dangerous or life-threatening event. It is characterized by persistent fear- and stress-related symptoms, such as nightmares, flashbacks, depression, anxiety and guilt. These symptoms can interfere significantly with patients' lives and in some cases can be debilitating. One of the most frequent causes of PTSD is being a victim of a violent, interpersonal assault. PTSD is felt to be primarily a disorder of memory formation - stressful memories are encoded too strongly in a patient's long-term memory, remaining too accessible and "present" to the patient long after the actual threat has passed. In recent years evidence has emerged that it may be possible to prevent PTSD by moderating the process of memory consolidation that occurs in the hours and days after a traumatic event. Early research has suggested that enhancing the body's natural cortisol response to a stressful event may be a safe and effective way of moderating the process of memory consolidation and promoting adaptive, non-pathological memory encoding. In particular, the administration of hydrocortisone, a safe and widely used drug that mimics the body's own cortisol hormone, appears to reduce the risk of developing PTSD in patients who have sustained a traumatic event. However, this research is still in relatively early stages, and requires larger trials to confirm its efficacy. In addition, the research thus far has not adequately targeted assault victims, whom Investigator feel are some of the patients most likely to benefit from such an approach. Investigators propose a prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial of administering single-dose oral hydrocortisone or placebo to 100 assault victims seen in the Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia Emergency Department to determine if this approach has efficacy in preventing PTSD. This study is designed as a pilot study, with the hopes that the data gathered in it can be used to design a larger and more robust trial in the future.
The investigators propose to use a clinical trial to test Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (TNS) to examine the efficacy of TNS as a new treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in veterans. Recruitment will take place at the PTSD Outpatient Clinic at the Veterans Affair Greater Los Angeles (VA GLA). Study participants will be asked to complete, at most, 9 assessments/questionnaires regarding their PTSD symptoms and quality of life, use the TNS device every night for 8 hours, log their use of the device, and attend weekly visits to monitor safety and complete assessments. Each subject will be asked to attend 8 visits over the course of 8 weeks. Subjects who receives the sham-controlled treatment will have an additional follow-up phone visit 4 weeks after the week 8 endpoint to examine symptom improvements. Enrollment and subject-related procedures are projected to take approximately 36 months. Preparations for clinical trial, clinical trial/study procedures and data analysis will occupy a 6 month period, a 36 month period, and a 6 month period, respectively. The duration of this project is approximately 4 years.
SimCoach, a computer program featuring a virtual human that speaks and gestures in a videogame-like interface, is designed to encourage servicemembers, especially those with signs or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, to seek help to improve their psychological health. The assessment included a formative component assessing SimCoach's design, development, and implementation approaches, as well as a summative component assessing outcomes among participants in a user experience survey and a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Immigrant and refugee children and youth are the fastest growing segment of Canadian society, but their mental health is too often overlooked even though their high rates of symptoms are increasingly of concern. These children and youth face the same developmental challenges as other children, but migration and resettlement amplify challenges and also create additional risks. Although a literature about the effects of immigrant family life on the mental health of children exists, very little research has examined the specific extent and implications of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among refugee children and youth. In addition, the best practice intervention strategies that most optimally support their mental health difficulties have not been evaluated. This study investigates the effectiveness of a treatment intervention in a sample of refugee children: Narrative Exposure Therapy or NET and KIDNET (developed for younger children), selected due to their documented superiority relative to other forms of treatment for children and youth with PTSD.
Relatives of patients in situation of withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining therapies often show post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (60%)[1]. This number is even greater when family members are active in this decision (81%) or when communication is not optimal between medical team and family members. There are several ways to assist families of patients in intensive care units [2], amongst them the use of a written document to explain the environment, therapies and possible outcomes. Here the investigators want to test the impact of a written document in the context of end-of-life conference in intensive care units. Specifically, this research addresses wether such written support could decrease 3-months post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression exhibited by the closest family member or the patient representative.
Treatment of severe trauma patients includes intensive cares. Both trauma and intensive care may lead to a post-traumatic stress disorder‬ and then to a decreased quality of life. Diaries may improve the frequency and the intensity of PTSD. Aim of investigator is to assess if diaries may improve quality of life after a severe trauma.
A significant number of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are affected by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The limited reach of effective treatments for PTSD into the veteran population is at least partially due to the perceived stigma by service members for seeking help in traditional specialty mental health clinics. A comprehensive approach to PTSD treatment in a veteran population should provide alternative sources for accessing effective psychotherapy treatments. The purpose of study is to conduct a randomized clinical trial comparing a brief (four 30-minute sessions delivered over 6 weeks) cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol designed specifically for use by behavioral health consultants working in an integrated primary care setting to a minimal contact 6-week control. The primary outcome measure is PTSD symptom relief.
The current available treatments for PTSD are not fully effective for cognitive symptoms of PTSD and have high drop-out and poor engagement, two factors found to be most indicative of overall return to functioning for patients with PTSD. The proposed study directly addresses this knowledge gap by conducting a pilot, fixed-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and cross-over trial using atomoxetine (ATX) as an add-on medication to other therapies to testing the efficacy of ATX in reducing ADHD cognitive symptoms among veterans with comorbid ADHD/PTSD. Successful completion of this pilot clinical trial may build a platform for future large scale double-blind, placebo-controlled studies using either atomoxetine or other cognitive enhancing medications.
The nation's trauma care system, which includes trauma center hospitals & emergency departments, is where over 30 million Americans receive care after traumatic injuries each year. Injury victims are diverse patients who suffer from complications of the initial injury as well as from multiple complex medical & mental health conditions. Currently, high-quality patient-centered care is not the standard of care throughout US trauma care systems. Injured trauma survivors treated in trauma care systems frequently receive fragmented care that is not coordinated across hospital, emergency department, outpatient, & community settings. Post-injury care is frequently not individualized to integrate the patient's most pressing post-traumatic concerns & preferences into medical decision making. The investigators, as a group of front-line trauma center providers, patients, researchers & policy makers, have been working together for over a decade to integrate patient-centered care into US trauma care systems. The investigators began this work by asking groups of injured patients the key patient-centered question: "Of everything that has happened to you since your injury, what concerns you the most?" The investigators developed scientifically sound assessment tools that allowed us to follow patient concerns after injury hospitalization. In May of 2011, the investigators convened an American College of Surgeons' policy summit that addressed mental health & patient-centered care integration across US trauma care systems. As part of this policy summit, patient members of our team presented their experiences of traumatic injury & recovery. While giving injured patients a "voice" at the summit, these narratives did not move surgical policy makers to develop mandates or guidelines for patient-centered care. In contrast, presentations that included information from randomized comparative effectiveness trials & standardized outcome assessments convinced surgical policy makers to develop US trauma care system policy mandates & best practice guidelines for post-traumatic stress disorder & alcohol use problems. Our team now realizes that in order to optimally integrate patient-centered care into US trauma care systems, the investigators must use the best scientific methods that capture the highest-quality data. This PCORI proposal aims to demonstrate that a patient-centered care management treatment that addresses patient's post-injury concerns & integrates patient concerns & preferences into medical decision making, while also coordinating care, can improve outcomes of great importance to patients & their caregivers, front-line providers & policy makers. This proposal directly addresses two PCORI patient-centered research questions: "After a traumatic injury, what can I do to improve the outcomes that are most important to me?" & "How can front-line providers working in trauma care systems help me make the best decisions about my post-injury health & health care?"
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a computerized cognitive training program (an attention and memory exercise performed on a computer) on thinking and memory in individuals with mood and anxiety disorders, and to begin to test whether this training affects symptoms of depression or anxiety.