View clinical trials related to Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic.
Filter by:Freeman-Sheldon syndrome (FSS) is a rare human neuromusculoskeletal disorder present before birth, involving primarily limb and craniofacial deformities. The hypotheses in the present study of FSS and related conditions are: (1) FSS and related conditions are associated with higher rates of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, and reduced quality of life than is observed in the general population; (2) persons close to an individual with FSS or related condition suffer similarly; and (3) current measures, which are single-disease specific (i.e., PTSS, depression, craniofacial deformities, or limb deformities), do not capture the unique picture of FSS and related conditions, which involve both limb and craniofacial deformities in an intellectually capable individual. There have been no studies looking at quality of life associated with FSS. Some authors have looked at quality of life in persons with facial differences; other authors have looked at bone and joint problems. Many other authors have looked at PTSS and depression caused by health problems and bad medical experiences. No authors have looked at these problems when they happen together, as they do in FSS. Because of the above, there may be differences in patients that have FSS versus patients in previous quality of life studies. The study will also develop and validate an outcomes-based quality of life survey for FSS and related conditions.
Converging lines of evidence have implicated the amygdala in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder. The primary purpose of our study is to assess the effect of propanolol, a beta adrenergic antagonism, on amygdala activation during a symptom provocation state in traumatized subjects with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.
The goal is to compare post tramautic stress between the nearest relatives of brain-dead patients who are organ donor to those of brain-dead patients who are not organ donors for medical, legal or opposition reasons.
This is an observational research study whose purposes are to see: 1. if 40 Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy sessions at 1.5 atmospheres (HBOT 1.5) or more (60, or 80 HBOT's) help, worsen, or have no effect on subjects with chronic TBI/PCS (Traumatic Brain Injury/Post-Concussion Syndrome) and/or PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). 2. if improvements or worsening of symptoms can be recorded with computerized and written tests for memory and thinking, and with questionnaires about the subject's quality of life and health. 3. determine the long-term outcome of the treatment. 4. confirm, in large numbers of study participants at multiple sites nationwide, the strong positive results obtained in pilot studies
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an emotional disorder that can also lead to problems with attention and memory. Cognitive training has been successfully used to improve attention and processing speed in other patient populations as well as healthy elderly. The purpose of this study is to examine how effective cognitive training will be in Veterans with PTSD.
This study proposes to evaluate the effects of D-cycloserine (DCS) combined with cognitive-behavioral treatment with exposure therapy in a sample of patients who developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a consequence of various traumas (e.g., motor vehicle and accidents, burns and other injuries, combat, World Trade Center attack, etc.). In addition, this study hopes to determine whether a common human genetic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a growth factor, brain derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF SNP (Val66Met), predicts treatment response to PTSD. Patients living in areas that are not geographically proximal to the Weill-Cornell Medical Center New York City campus will receive cognitive behavioral therapy using telemedicine (videoconferencing technology). Overall, this study aims 1) to determine if subjects administered DCS show a significantly larger decrease in symptoms of PTSD as compared to those administered a placebo, 2) to determine if subjects administered DCS show a decrease in PTSD symptomatology significantly earlier (as measured by weeks) than those administered a placebo, 3) to determine if differences in symptomatology are evident at a 6-month follow-up and indicate long-term differences between groups, 4) to determine if the BDNF SNP predicts treatment response, 5)to determine if it is feasible and acceptable to provide imaginal exposure (IE) therapy for PTSD using videoconferencing technology.
Many service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have difficulties adjusting back to civilian life. Research shows that symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are particularly high in returning Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans, and that combat-related nightmares and sleep disturbances are common in veterans with PTSD. This is of concern because people with these problems will often use unhealthy ways of coping. Although combat-related nightmares and difficulty sleeping are highly distressing, there are helpful treatments that do not involve taking medication. One of these treatments teaches specific skills to help people improve their sleep habits and to change their nightmares so that they are less upsetting. This treatment can be very helpful and research shows that people experience decreases in the frequency and severity of their nightmares, decreased symptoms of depression and PTSD, and improved sleep quality and quantity after completing treatment. However, because this treatment has only been studied with civilians, it is not clear how well this treatment works for returning veterans. This study tests how well this treatment works in treating combat nightmares in veterans who also have PTSD from experiencing a traumatic event.
Research shows that symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are particularly high in veterans, and that trauma-related nightmares and sleep disturbances are common in veterans with PTSD. This is of concern because people with these problems will often use unhealthy ways of coping. Although trauma-related nightmares and difficulty sleeping are highly distressing, there are helpful treatments that do not involve taking medication. One of these treatments teaches specific skills to help people improve their sleep habits and to change their nightmares so that they are less upsetting. This treatment can be very helpful and research shows that people experience decreases in the frequency and severity of their nightmares, decreased symptoms of depression and PTSD, and improved sleep quality and quantity after completing treatment. However, because this treatment has only been studied with civilians, it is not clear how well this treatment works for veterans.
Background: Innovation: Over 150,000 soldiers are currently deployed in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and 12% of returning OIF veterans have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research from our group and others showed lasting neurobiological consequences of PTSD, including increased amygdala function and decreased medial prefrontal function, verbal declarative memory problems, and smaller hippocampal volume that reverses with treatment with the serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine or the anticonvulsant phenytoin. Recently we found that three months of treatment with paroxetine in PTSD patients resulted in an increase in hippocampal N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), a marker of neuronal integrity, as well as decreased brain metabolism in the amygdala and a reversal or stress induced decreases in medial prefrontal function. Subjects treated with placebo did not have an increase in NAA, however subsequent treatment for three months with open label paroxetine resulted in an increase in NAA to the level seen in the subjects treated with paroxetine in the double-blind phase. Paroxetine was associated with a decrease in amygdala metabolism measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and increased medial prefrontal function. Intervening soon after the trauma is critical for long-term outcomes, since with time traumatic memories become indelible and resistant to treatment. Diminished efficacy of treatment over time is shown by the fact that trials of Vietnam veterans have shown less efficacy over the years. Animal studies show that pretreatment before stress with antidepressants reduces chronic behavioral deficits related to stress; although for ethical and other reasons no studies have provided pretreatment before trauma exposure in humans. In our current VA Merit funded program we are looking at the effects of early interventions for Iraq soldiers with paroxetine, looking at chronicity of PTSD, cognition, cortisol response to stress, hippocampal volume and NAA, as outcomes. We now propose to add measurement of neural correlates of paroxetine response using PET. Objectives/Hypotheses: The objectives of this research are to: - Assess the efficacy of paroxetine versus placebo in the treatment of early PTSD in OIF veterans - Assess the effects of paroxetine versus placebo on amygdala metabolism and medial prefrontal response to stress in OIF veterans with PTSD. - Assess the ability of brain imaging to predict treatment response and to identify veterans with early PTSD who will benefit from early interventions. Hypotheses are that paroxetine will be associated with: 1) an improvement in PTSD symptoms compared to placebo based on the change in the CAPS from baseline to three months of treatment in veterans of OIF; 2) increased medial prefrontal function and decreased amygdala metabolism in veterans of OIF. Specific Aims: - Compare paroxetine to placebo in the treatment of early PTSD in OIF veterans - Measure amygdala metabolism and medial prefrontal response to stress with PET in OIF veterans with PTSD before and after paroxetine or placebo treatment.
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of propranolol in reducing symptoms of distress in people with post-traumatic stress disorder.