ACT With Feedback for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Condition: PTSD
MeSH terms: Stress Disorders, Traumatic
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy of Attention Control Training with the
      inclusion of feedback for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

      It seems that the most efficient ABMT method to balance attention bias variability (ABV)
      among individuals with PTSD is Attention Control Training (ACT). This type of training is
      designed to balance attention allocation towards threat-related and neutral stimuli. A few
      studies have further shown that this training type succeeds in balancing the aberrant
      fluctuations in attention bias observed in patients with PTSD, and that this leads to a
      reduction in PTSD symptoms (Badura-Brack et al., 2015).

      The purpose of the current study is to examine the efficacy of ACT that also includes
      feedback. Specifically, we intend to test whether the inclusion of feedback on top of
      standard ACT may enhance training efficacy in reducing ABV and in reducing PTSD symptoms.
    

Detailed description: 
      The aim of the current study is to explore the efficacy of Attention Control Training with
      the inclusion of feedback for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

      Individuals with PTSD exhibit increased threat-related attention bias variability (ABV;
      Lacoviello et al., 2014; Naim et al., 2015). Based on these findings, computerized training
      methods aimed to modify the attention bias were developed (Attention Bias Modification
      Training; ABMT).

      It seems that the most efficient ABMT method to balance ABV among individuals with PTSD is
      Attention Control Training (ACT). This type of training is designed to balance attention
      allocation towards threat-related and neutral stimuli. A few studies have further shown that
      this training type succeeds in balancing the aberrant fluctuations in attention bias observed
      in PTSD, and that this leads to a reduction in PTSD symptoms (Badura-Brack et al., 2015).

      The purpose of the current study is to examine the efficacy of ACT that also includes a
      feedback component. Specifically, we intend to test whether the inclusion of feedback on top
      of standard ACT may enhance training efficacy in reducing ABV and in reducing PTSD symptoms.

      For this purpose, we will recruit 60 IDF veterans diagnosed with PTSD that will be randomly
      assigned to one of two conditions: ACT with feedback or ACT with yoked sham feedback.

      We expect that ACT with feedback will produce greater reduction in PTSD symptoms and in ABV
      relative to ACT with yoked sham feedback.
    

Intervention name(s): Attention Control Training (ACT) with ABV feedback; Attention Control Training (ACT) with yoked sham feedback
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): At the beginning of each session, participants will complete 45 standard dot-probe trials as described above. Participants' ABV on these trials will be calculated and set as their personal baseline (see below for ABV calculation). In the following 165-training trials, participants will receive feedback: when their online-calculated ABV will be below their baseline screen background will be green whereas its color will be red when their online ABV score will be higher than their baseline. Patients will be instructed to try to keep the background green for as long as possible.; Participants in this group will be exposed to the same task as in the active group but will receive sham feedback that is unrelated to their ABV during task performance. They will be presented with a feedback that is yoked to the one given to a participant in the training group.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Participants are randomly assigned to either active or sham feedback in a 1:1 ratio.
Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: PTSD; Attention Training; Cognitive Bias Modification; Attention Bias Modification