Comparing Virtual Reality Therapy to Usual Treatment for PTSD

NCT00167804 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: D3520P
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Combat related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the most common chronic psychiatric disorder in the veteran population. Unfortunately, outcome studies of VA PTSD programs have failed to show efficacy. VA PTSD patients have been significantly less responsive to conventional therapies than other PTSD populations. Virtual Reality based exposure therapy (VRE) allows patients to feel immersed in highly interactive computer-generated environments. Within these environments patients can be exposed to anxiety-provoking stimuli in a gradual and controlled manner so that they can become desensitized to these stimuli and, in the case of PTSD, the traumatic memories evoked by these stimuli. The advantages of VRE include less reliance on the patient's ability to visualize traumatic memories and making it more difficult for patients to avoid memories during exposure therapy. It is also safer and more convenient than in vivo exposure. In this study twenty Vietnam veterans are randomly assign to either VRE or to a Treatment as Usual (TAU) control condition. Treatment would consist of ten ninety-minute individual psychotherapy sessions for both groups. Assessments would occur at pre-treatment, immediate post-treatment and at six months post-treatment.

Conditions

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Keywords

Exposure Therapy; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Treatment Outcome; Veterans; Virtual Reality

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Clinician Administered PTSD Scale

  Pre Tx, Post TX and 6 months Post Tx

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Mississippi-R Scale

  Pre Tx, Post TX and 6 months Post Tx

Study Arms (1)

1

OTHER

Present Centered Therapy focuses on the veterans problems in the here and now. It uses a problem solving approach and avoids discussion of war related traumatic events.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure

Interventions

Virtual Reality Exposure BEHAVIORAL

VRE uses computer generated environments to conduct exposure therapy.

1

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Vietnam Veterans with combat related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

You may not qualify if:

• Active Substance Abuse
• Psychosis
• Bipolar Disorder
• Dementia
• Significant Cognitive Impairment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• US Department of Veterans Affairs: lead

Study Sites (1)

VA Medical Center, Decatur

Decatur, Georgia, 30033, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Interventions

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Desensitization, Psychologic; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Officials

• David Ready, PhD MS

  VA Medical Center, Decatur

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 9, 2005
• First Posted: September 14, 2005
• Study Start: September 1, 2004
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2006
• Study Completion: August 1, 2006
• Last Updated: December 6, 2011

Record last verified: 2011-12

Locations

US (1)