View clinical trials related to Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic.
Filter by:Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common debilitating disorder that affects many individuals exposed to aversive events. The severity of PTSD symptoms is positively correlated with amygdala activation. More severe PTSD symptoms following exposure to stressful events, are associated with amygdala hyper-responsivity prior to exposure. A possible intervention for PTSD is Neurofeedback (NF) - a treatment method based on learned self-modulation of neural activity in response to feedback of neural signal. Previous work in our lab established a NF training procedure that utilizes the temporal abilities of EEG with the spatial advantages of fMRI. Further work based on this method using the amygdala BOLD signal (EEG-finger-print, EFP) has demonstrated a potential for improving the ability to self-regulate amygdala activity and to improve emotional regulation in a healthy population. The current study aims to investigate the potential of this method as a therapeutic intervention for PTSD.
In this article, the investigators report the design and protocol of a functional magnetic resonance imaging study (fMRI) of the treatment of Danish veterans with PTSD with Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE). In total 30 Danish veterans will be recruited, who meet the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and treated with PE. A group of controls will be recruited consisting of age-appropriate same sex veterans who have participated in international missions similar to the patient group
Exposure to life threatening, traumatic and stress inducing events in general is an inevitable part of military combat service . Among individuals exposed to a traumatic event, approximately 85-90 % will develop a stress response from which they will recover without need for any medical intervention whatsoever. However, roughly 10-15 % will continue to suffer from post-traumatic symptoms along with depression or anxiety disorders1, . The prominent symptoms of post - traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), consists of reliving the event via invasive and painful memories that include: images, thoughts or feelings, night terrors, and extreme emotional distress that arise when exposure to external or internal cues similar to or symbolizing aspects of the traumatic event. Following this distress, behavioral avoidance of situations that trigger unpleasant memories may develop. Such mental stress may lead to avoidance of social situations and hinder normal daily functioning in a variety of contexts2. The question arises as to what distinguishes between those who are exposed to a traumatic event and recover spontaneously and those who fail to resume daily life and develop PTSD. Attempts to find personality and environmental risk factors for the development of PTSD have yet to yield any unequivocal conclusions. This has lead the scientific community to look for neuro-physical risk factors as well . Furthermore, evidence that early diagnosis and treatment of the disorder helps reduce the severity of post-trauma symptoms -stresses the need for the accurate localization of neurological risk factors and new immediate and/or preventative interventions. The aim of the present project is to develop a brain oriented training method for early preventive interventions of PTSD.
Anxiety disorders are common disorders, which pose a major burden to society and the individual. An anxiety disorder may be treated with medication, in particular with antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, much of what is known about antidepressants is derived from research in depression rather than anxiety. In recent years, researchers have found that antidepressants are more effective for severely depressed patients than they are for patients with milder symptoms. It is possible that a similar relationship between symptom severity and antidepressant efficacy exists for anxiety disorders, but there is currently little evidence available to answer this question. As antidepressants are frequently prescribed to patients with mild or moderate anxiety, a clear understanding of their effectiveness across the severity range is vital to inform treatment decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine whether initial symptom severity affects antidepressant efficacy for anxiety disorders.
The purpose of the study is to compare the impact of two strategies to sustain and improve the delivery of an evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) in three different mental health systems. These approaches are based on two different theories of what is necessary to promote successful implementation. We will examine whether these strategies lead to improved patient outcomes, clinician skill, proportion of clients who receive CPT, and other outcomes that are relevant to the implementation of evidence-based psychosocial treatments. By examining these questions in 3 different mental health systems, we will also examine whether the implementation strategies yield different results in different systems.
This study investigates the efficacy of a novel neuromodulation treatment, light emitting diodes (LED), on cognition, neuropsychiatric status and quality of life in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Cognitively Augmented Behavioral Activation (CABA), a new hybrid treatment for Veterans diagnosed with comorbid mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study's specific goals are to determine whether: 1) CABA reduces PTSD symptoms in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD, 2) CABA reduces cognitive-related functional impairment in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD, 3) CABA results in improvements in depression symptoms, cognitive functioning, and quality of life in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD; and 4) CABA is an acceptable treatment for Veterans with mTBI/PTSD. The overall goal is to develop an evidence-based manualized treatment for comorbid mTBI/PTSD that can be readily implemented in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) treatment settings.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as a common and serious mental health condition, affects about 25% of all military personnel that have served in combat. People suffering from PTSD may experience traumatic flashbacks, trouble sleeping, and problems in their relationships. This study is intended to help identify genes that influence and increase the risk of PTSD, to improve ways of detecting and treating the condition in the future. Previous research has studied genes that increase the risk of PTSD, but none of these have included a Veteran-only population. The current study focuses on US Veterans, utilizing the VA Million Veteran Program (MVP) database of approximately 300,000 participants as of August 2014. In this context, participants with PTSD are referred to as "cases" and Veterans without PTSD are referred to as "controls." This project will be done in three stages. The first stage will look at MVP-obtained data and electronic health record (EHR) data to implement methods for identifying combat-exposed case patients with PTSD and combat-exposed control patients without PTSD. The second stage will assemble and validate a study population of 20,000 participants "including 10,000 combat-exposed Veterans with PTSD as cases and 10,000 combat-exposed Veterans without PTSD as controls. The third stage will conduct genetic analyses ("genotyping") comparing the cases to controls, to identify genes associated with increased risk of developing the condition.
This preclinical phase 1 development study in healthy volunteers seeks to identify if low doses of commonly used non-triggering anesthetic agents might have clinical utility for modulating emotional memory processing and to understand the nature of the brain mechanisms of drug action. Optimally, a drug, dose and brain mechanism of action will be identified that will form the foundation for future use in clinical studies of patients with PTSD.
The broad, long-term objective of the current research is to improve treatment outcomes for individuals with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol abuse and dependence (AUD). The purpose of which is to evaluate changes in both PTSD symptoms and alcohol use and cravings associated with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) or Relapse Prevention (RP) treatment in individuals with PTSD/AUD, along with mediators and moderators of outcomes. The study will randomize 235 PTSD/AUD participants recruited from the VA and from the community to CPT, RP, or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) assessment only (AO). Those in the AO condition will be re-randomized after the treatment phase to either RP or CPT. Individuals will be assessed pretreatment, immediately post-treatment, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months post-treatment and will monitor symptoms daily throughout treatment.