Attention Bias Modification Treatment for Warzone-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will be randomly assigned to either Attention Bias Modification Treatment (ABMT) designed to reduce bias toward threat or a placebo control condition not designed to change attention patterns. Outcome measures will be PTSD, anxiety, depression, and alexithymia symptoms as measured by standard psychological interviews and questionnaires. Participants will also be invited to participate in physiological testing before and after receiving AMBT or placebo to serve as additional outcome measures and assess brain functioning, heart rate, and muscle tension. The investigators expect to see significant PTSD symptom reduction in the Attention Bias Modification Treatment (ABMT) group relative to the placebo control group in which no symptomatic relief is expected. At the end of the study, if ABMT is shown to be effective, we will offer active ABMT to those participants randomly assigned to the placebo arm if they would like to receive the treatment.

Official Title
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Attention Bias Modification Treatment for Warzone-Related PTSD: A Randomized Clinical Trial Magnetoencephalography Study

Conditions
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Attention Bias Modification Training Protocol


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) serving in United States Military after March 20, 2003. Exclusion Criteria: Schizophrenia Bipolar Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Head Injury with Loss of Consciousness for more than 30 minutes Active Alcohol/Substance Dependence in past 6 months

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 19 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Attention Bias Modification Treatment<br>Attention bias modification training using a computerized spatial attention task (dot-probe) designed to alter threat-bias attention patterns away from threat. | Behavioral: Attention Bias Modification Training Protocol<br>* Attention Bias Modification computerized training sessions administered 2 times per week for 4 weeks making a total of 8 training sessions.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Attentional Control Training<br>Attention control training using a computerized spatial attention taks (dot-probe) counter balances training toward and away from threat. | Behavioral: Attention Bias Modification Training Protocol<br>* Attention Bias Modification computerized training sessions administered 2 times per week for 4 weeks making a total of 8 training sessions.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Will Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Symptom decrease with intervention | Using Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS): The clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) is a 30-item structured interview that corresponds to the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD (Blake, Weathers, Nagy, Kaloupek, Charney, & Keane, 1995) to assess symptoms of PTSD outcome. | 8 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Other psychiatics symptoms (ie Depression, Anger, Anxiety) | To assess potential decrease in psychiatric symptoms associated with PTSD, by comparing pre intervention and post intervention scores on psychological measures of deprssion, anger and anxiety. | 8 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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PTSD, Posttraumatic Stress, Post Traumatic Stress, Attention Bias, Threat Bias, Combat, Warzone