Mind-Body Rehabilitative Program for Veterans With mTBI (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury)
Condition: Sleep Disturbance; Traumatic Brain Injury
MeSH terms: Brain Injuries; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Dyssomnias; Parasomnias; Brain Concussion
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The broad aim of the proposed study is to evaluate the comprehensive benefit of a novel
      mind-body therapeutic intervention, Mind-Body Bridging (MBB), in Veterans who suffer from
      mTBI and sleep disturbance co-morbid with PTSD and/or pain at the VA Salt Lake City Health
      Care System (VASLCHCS). Evidence for comprehensive benefit includes, but is not limited to,
      the average difference in outcomes between MBB and an active control, sleep education (SED),
      both integrated with the usual care for mTBI Veterans. The long-term goal of the proposed
      project is to introduce, implement and establish mind-body intervention programs as a
      behavioral health intervention modality that would serve as a generally sustainable health
      care intervention program before, during, and after deployment for military personnel.
    

Detailed description: 
      Traumatic brain injury represents a dynamic spectrum of physiologic and cognitive dysfunction
      that exerts effects at multiple levels of human health. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is
      a multi-factorial illness that is an increasingly serious public health issue for military
      and civilian personnel. The assessment of neurocognitive deficits in mTBI has been suggested
      to be less conclusive, presumably because of the predominating influence of PTSD and other
      co-morbid factors. Recent research suggests that psychological factors play a substantial
      role in TBI-related impairments in self-reported health and cognition function. Furthermore,
      research has shown that TBI is rarely an isolated finding in military combat settings and
      that persistent post-concussive symptoms are commonly associated with post-traumatic stress
      disorder and chronic pain, a constellation of findings that has been termed the "polytrauma
      clinical triad". Indeed, significant numbers of returning Veterans of Operation Enduring
      Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) display the polytrauma clinical triad (PCT) of
      pain, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury. The proposed project
      will: 1) elucidate best practices for treating mTBI with co-occurring symptoms (pain, sleep
      disturbance, PTSD) encompassing cognitive, emotional, and psychological functioning; and 2)
      address psychosocial aspects of managing pain and co-morbidities associated with mTBI through
      integrative and complementary and alternative approaches.
    

Intervention name(s): Mind-Body Bridging Program; Supportive Education
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Bridging aims to reduce the impact of negative thought patterns that contribute to stress in the body.; This intervention will provide educational lectures on disability, sleep hygiene, and current research on depression and nondirective, supportive discussions about these topics.
Other intervention name(s): MBB; SED
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: mild traumatic brain injury; sleep; mind body intervention; mind body bridging