Effect of tDCS Timing on Safety Memory in PTSD

This is an interventional basic science trial for PTSD focused on measuring safety memory, PTSD, tDCS, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, fear conditioning, context processing Read More

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Primary diagnosis of PTSD, assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview of DSM-5 (SCID);
2. aged 18-70;
3. ability to speak, read, write, and understand English sufficiently well to complete study procedures and provide informed consent;
4. Stable psychiatric medication use or treatment for at least 6 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Lifetime history of psychotic or bipolar disorder;
2. Current moderate or severe substance use disorder; if mild, not under the influence at time of study participation;
3. Acute suicidal or homicidal ideation as detected on screening instruments or in the investigator team's opinion, is likely to attempt suicide within 6 months;
4. current (or past) significant neurological disorder, injury, or other intracranial pathology including severe traumatic brain injury or lifetime history of a) seizure disorder b) primary or secondary CNS tumors c) stroke or d) cerebral aneurysm;
5. lifetime history of moderate or, current unstable medical conditions;
6. Any problems that would interfere with study participation, including MRI- or tDCS-related contraindications (e.g., implanted metallic devices/substances, metallic tattoos, pregnancy, claustrophobia, holes in the skull, skin abnormalities under stimulation sites), or indication of colorblindness, or presence of any other condition or circumstance that, in the opinion of the investigator team, has the potential to prevent study completion and/or inability to schedule visit days within the allotted time, and/or to have a confounding effect on outcome assessments.

SUB-STUDY Inclusion criteria: aged 18+