Imagery Rescripting in the Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Following Early Chronic...
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Imagery Rescripting (IR)is a promising treatment for PTSD in adult survivors of early, chronic, interpersonal trauma (e.g. Smucker & Dancu, 1999). So far, this protocol has not been investigated within a controlled setting with patients with PTSD following early, chronic, interpersonal trauma. The aim of the proposed study is to 1. investigate the efficacy of Imagery Rescripting and 2. check whether the efficacy of Imagery Rescripting can be improved by adding a stabilization phase (Skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation, STAIR) prior to this treatment. In a randomized controlled trial three conditions will be compared: Imagery Rescripting STAIR + Imagery Rescripting Wait-list control
Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation in Burned Patients
Post Traumatic Stress DisordersBurnsTo find out if Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation is a useful treatment for people who have been burned and have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. CES may be helpful in giving relief to some or all of those symptoms.
Trauma-focused CBT Versus EMDR in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Stress DisordersPost-TraumaticThis study will evaluate the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy (TF-CBT) versus eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in the treatment of trauma survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Patients will be randomly assigned to TF-CBT or EMDR. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 3 and 12 months post-treatment. In addition to comparing the efficacy of the two protocols, an additional focus will lie on identifying predictors for treatment outcome.
Nicotine Patch Pretreatment for Smoking Cessation in PTSD
Stress DisordersPosttraumatic1 moreThis study seeks to evaluate the relationship between PTSD, abstinence, and factors associated with relapse in the context of a randomized, clinical smoking cessation trial.
Virtual Reality & D-cycloserine (DCS) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Posttraumatic Stress DisorderThis study proposes to evaluate the effects of D-cycloserine (DCS) combined with Virtual Reality exposure therapy in a sample of patients who developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following either the events of September 11, 2001, or military service in the war in Iraq. 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 (Val66Met), predicts treatment response to PTSD. 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, and 4) to determine if the BDNF SNP predicts treatment response.
Military to Civilian: Trial of an Intervention to Promote Postdeployment Reintegration
Posttraumatic Stress DisorderVeterans returning from combat deployments face the interrelated challenges of processing their combat experiences and transitioning back to civilian life. Unfortunately, many veterans wait years or decades before seeking help for post-deployment problems, if they seek it at all. This study seeks to determine whether Internet-Based Expressive Writing (IB-EW), a brief, low-cost, easily disseminated, and resource-efficient intervention, can reduce psychological symptoms and improve functioning among Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans as they navigate this transition, while also attempting to reduce barriers to help-seeking. Expressive Writing, a highly private, readily accessible, and non-stigmatizing intervention, has a strong evidence-base in civilian populations, but its efficacy in combat veterans has not been tested. This study therefore seeks to test the efficacy of Expressive Writing in a veteran population while further enhancing its accessibility by delivering it over the internet (Internet-Based Expressive Writing; IB-EW). This study will comprise a randomized controlled trial with three conditions: (a) Internet-Based Expressive Writing, (b) Internet-Based Control Writing, and (c) No Writing/Treatment As Usual, with a total of 1152 OIF/OEF veterans randomized across these groups. Expressive Writing participants will write with feeling about their transition from being a soldier to being a civilian; Control Writing participants will write factually about the information needs of new veterans; and Treatment as Usual participants will complete the assessments but not engage in any writing assignments. Participants will complete standardized self-report measures of psychological symptoms, psychosocial functioning, and life satisfaction at baseline (Session 1) and at three months (Session 6) and six months (Session 7) post-intervention. Participants in writing conditions will write for 20 minutes on four consecutive days (Sessions 2-5) following completion of baseline measures (participants in the TAU condition will not complete Sessions 2-5). The study will also attempt to identify individual difference characteristics related to the efficacy of the treatment, to see who may be most likely to benefit from the treatment. Analyses will primarily entail multivariate analyses of variance. Power is adequate to detect even a small effect.
Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder With High Doses of Escitalopram
Stress DisordersPost TraumaticThe study evaluates the hypothesis that large doses of Escitalopram will reduce symptoms of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adult civilian survivors of traumatic events. Forty survivors of carefully documented traumatic events who had been followed for more than two years and have not improved will receive up to 40 mg of Escitalopram (daily) for twelve weeks Symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, quality of life and global clinical impression, as well as emergent side effects will be recorded every two weeks (one week for the first four weeks. The primary outcome measure will be symptoms of PTSD as recorded at the end of the study (or the last meeting with the patient - Last Observation Carried Forward). The secondary outcome criteria will be treatment continuation, as expressed in the proportion of patients leaving the study for either lack of effect or side effects.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Nightmares in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi...
Posttraumatic Stress DisorderSleep Disorders1 moreThe purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of two talk therapies for OEF/OIF Veterans at the Michael J. Crescenz and the West Haven VA Medical Centers. Participants will randomly receive one of two individual treatments intended to improve the sleep disturbance and nightmares of returning Veterans.
Mothers Overcoming and Managing Stress
Posttraumatic Stress DisorderPTSDThe study is a randomized trial of two manualized 12-session one-to-one educational and therapeutic interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to test and compare their efficacy for reducing PTSD symptoms as a means of prevention of intergenerational victimization by or involvement in criminal activities with at-risk mothers. The two therapies are (1) Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET) and (2) Present Centered Therapy (PCT). The study also included a wait-list comparison condition in which participants were offered one of the two therapies following completion of baseline and posttest assessments.
Examining the Effect of Acupuncture on Sleep Difficulties Related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder...
Stress DisordersPost-Traumatic1 moreThe purpose of this study was to examine if group ear acupuncture improves Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder sleep difficulties among veterans who participated in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This study also examined the degree of veteran acceptance for a group ear acupuncture procedure.