fMRI in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) During Working Memory Updating — METRAPI  

Anxiety Clinical Trial

Official title: Working Memory Updating in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Study of Neural Correlates Using fMRI

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Neuropsychological studies investigating trauma-exposed and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subjects have generally underlined the significantly poorer performance of tasks that require attention, concentration, and verbal memory, and difficulty in regulating memories surrounding the traumatic event. A previous study (El Hage et al. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 2006) revealed that the trauma-exposed subjects scored higher on anxiety/depression scales, and lower on processing speed tests. Moreover, the study showed significant impairment in working memory partially mediated by speed processing, but not by anxiety or depression. These results suggest that processing speed makes a major contribution to trauma-related working memory decline, and needs to be investigated in further studies.The aim of the present study is to explore correlation between hippocampus volume, frontal dysfunction and cognitive slowing in trauma-exposed subjects, while examining brain activation during performance of working memory tasks using functional magnetic resonance.

Clinical Trial Description

Working memory performance will be assessed using the "3-back test", and processing speed evaluated with "words comparison test". The study will be conducted on 2 years. The study should include 18 right-handed females victims of sexual abuse and suffering from PTSD, and 18 controls right-handed females without any history of abuse ad not suffering from PTSD. Brain activation will be measured during performance of working memory tasks (3-back test) and processing speed test using functional magnetic resonance. ;

Study Design

Observational Model: Case Control, Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Amnesia
• Amnesia, Dissociative
• Anxiety
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Stress Disorders, Traumatic

• NCT number: NCT00288314
• Study type: Observational
• Source: University Hospital, Tours
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: January 2007
• Completion date: May 2008