
Exercise Training to Improve PTSD Symptoms and Health in Older Veterans
Post-traumatic Stress DisorderPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among military Veterans and is more than just a psychological condition; PTSD has profound negative impacts on health, function, and quality of life. Older Veterans are the largest patient population served by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and many have lived with PTSD for 40+ years. Veterans with PTSD engage in low levels of physical activity and spend much of their time in sedentary activities, adding to their risk of physical disability. The benefits of exercise on mental health and physical well-being in older adults are well-substantiated, but the effects of exercise training on late-life PTSD symptoms is a new area of study. This study is designed to examine the effects of 6 months of supervised exercise training on PTSD symptoms and PTSD-related conditions (e.g., functional impairment, sleep) in 188 older Veterans with PTSD.

The Feasibility and Examination of the Effects of Floatation-based REST on a Community Sample With...
Post-Traumatic Stress DisordersThis project is being done to explore the effects floating has on individuals who have a history of trauma with stress related symptoms.

Neuromodulation and Neurorehabilitation for mTBI Plus PTSD
Mild Traumatic Brain InjuryPost Traumatic Stress DisorderThis study will determine (i) the magnitude of immediate and sustained effects of a current clinical standard interactive computer attention processing training (APT) when combined with intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a type of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and (ii) determine how APT + iTBS changes the neurocognitive system of attention in individuals with persistent attention deficits related to mTBI and PTSD.

Combined Ketamine and eCBT Intervention for PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderAn open label RCT assessing the efficacy of a combined treatment approach for PTSD, using Ketamine infusions and online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Evaluation of the PE Coach Mobile Application Among Veterans With PTSD
Posttraumatic Stress DisorderThousands of mental health mobile applications (apps) are available but limited research has been conducted on their effectiveness. VA has been a leader in mental health mobile app development and must research whether these apps work, and if so, how? PE Coach is a well-designed treatment companion app to one of the most researched, efficacious psychotherapies for PTSD (prolonged exposure), a treatment that has been broadly disseminated throughout VA mental health clinics. Research suggests that VA therapists find the app helpful in supporting patients. Preliminary results suggest that Veteran patients prefer to receive therapy withPE Coach and Veterans complete more recovery-oriented homework when they do. This study will randomize 124 Veterans with PTSD to treatment with or without PE Coach. The project will evaluate the effect of the app on PTSD-related functioning, quality of life, and PTSD symptoms. The investigators will test whether the app improves functioning and symptoms, increases homework, and reduces drop out.

Efficacy of Reboxetine and Methylphenidate Treatment on Attentional, Sensory and Emotional Dysregulation...
Posttraumatic Stress DisorderUp-to-date, no studies have examined the attentional, sensory and emotional processing (difficulties) among patients diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition, the efficiency of drug treatments that focus on the noradrenergic and dopaminergic, and thus influence attention processing and PTSD symptoms through these pathways, have only briefly been investigated. There is well-established and long-standing evidence for the involvement of dopamine and noradrenaline in attentional function. This previously led to an investigation by the investigator's research lab in which the investigators hypothesized the involvement of an attentional disorder would influence PTSD symptoms in a rat model. Based on these results, the current study aims to characterize attentional deficits in patients with PTSD, as well as the correlation between attention, emotional regulation and sensory processing. The investigators do this partially by conducting a case-control study and through a subsequent double-blind RCT (with only the cases). The patients will be either treated with reboxetine + methylphenidate or placebo.

Effectiveness of Trauma Therapy in Patients With PTSD and Comorbid Psychotic Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress DisorderPsychotic Disorders3 moreEffectiveness of trauma therapy using prolonged exposure for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with comorbid psychotic disorder

Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of MeRT Treatment in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder...
PostTraumatic Stress DisorderTraumatic Brain Injury1 moreThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of individualized, Biometrics-guided Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT) treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with and without Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms (PPCS) following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Neural Mechanisms of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder...
Post Traumatic Stress DisorderThis study will examine the effects of psychotherapy as treatment for PTSD, and specifically how brain activity and brain connectivity is affected by Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and an active mind-body comparison comparison therapy.

Multisite RCT of STEP-Home: A Transdiagnostic Skill-based Community Reintegration Workshop
Post-traumatic Stress DisorderTraumatic Brain Injury5 moreIn this proposal, the investigators extend their previous SPiRE feasibility and preliminary effectiveness study to examine STEP-Home efficacy in a RCT design. This novel therapy will target the specific needs of a broad range of underserved post-9/11 Veterans. It is designed to foster reintegration by facilitating meaningful improvement in the functional skills most central to community participation: emotional regulation (ER), problem solving (PS), and attention functioning (AT). The skills trained in the STEP-Home workshop are novel in their collective use and have not been systematically applied to a Veteran population prior to the investigators' SPiRE study. STEP-Home will equip Veterans with skills to improve daily function, reduce anger and irritability, and assist reintegration to civilian life through return to work, family, and community, while simultaneously providing psychoeducation to promote future engagement in VA care. The innovative nature of the STEP-Home intervention is founded in the fact that it is: (a) an adaptation of an established and efficacious intervention, now applied to post-9/11 Veterans; (b) nonstigmatizing (not "therapy" but a "skills workshop" to boost acceptance, adherence and retention); (c) transdiagnostic (open to all post-9/11 Veterans with self-reported reintegration difficulties; Veterans often have multiple mental health diagnoses, but it is not required for enrollment); (d) integrative (focus on the whole person rather than specific and often stigmatizing mental and physical health conditions); (e) comprised of Veteran-specific content to teach participants cognitive behavioral skills needed for successful reintegration (which led to greater acceptability in feasibility study); (f) targets anger and irritability, particularly during interactions with civilians; (g) emphasizes psychoeducation (including other available treatment options for common mental health conditions); and (h) challenges beliefs/barriers to mental health care to increase openness to future treatment and greater mental health treatment utilization. Many Veterans who participated in the development phases of this workshop have gone on to trauma or other focused therapies, or taken on vocational (work/school/volunteer) roles after STEP-Home. The investigators have demonstrated that the STEP-Home workshop is feasible and results in pre-post change in core skill acquisition that the investigators demonstrated to be directly associated with post-workshop improvement in reintegration status in their SPiRE study. Given the many comorbidities of this cohort, the innovative treatment addresses multiple aspects of mental health, cognitive, and emotional function simultaneously and bolsters reintegration in a short-term group to maximize cost-effectiveness while maintaining quality of care.