Attention Control Training for PTSD Related to Combat or Interpersonal Violence

NCT03350360 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 1123259
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 73
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Participants will complete a pre and post training psychological assessment. Participants will be assigned to attention control training or the comparison stimuli computer task in a double-blind randomized control trial design. Both computerized dot probe tasks display two stimuli on a computer screen, one above the other, followed by a small right or left arrow appearing in the location vacated by one of the stimuli. Participants are required to respond as quickly as they can by pressing the indicated right or left arrow on their computer keyboard without compromising accuracy. Participants complete 6 training sessions.

Conditions

PTSD

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms from pre to post test

  Structured diagnostic interview for PTSD

  30 minute long administration at both pre and post training to measure change. (repeat assessments are conducted 1 month apart)

Study Arms (3)

Attention Control Training Clinic

EXPERIMENTAL

Attention Control Training Clinic will consist of: * 6 sessions in the clinic lasting approximately 10 minutes each. * Each session will consist of 128 presentations of pairs of neutral and threatening stimuli, followed by the presentation of a response cue (right or left arrow to be clicked on a computer keyboard).

Behavioral: Attention Control Training

Attention Control Training Web-delivery

EXPERIMENTAL

Attention Control Training Web-delivery will consist of: * 6 sessions lasting approximately 10 minutes each logged into via the internet from the participants' home. * Each session will consist of 128 presentations of pairs of neutral and threatening stimuli, followed by the presentation of a response cue (right or left arrow to be clicked on a computer keyboard). * Ideally participants will complete 2 sessions per week, allowing them to complete the trial in less than one month's time

Behavioral: Attention Control Training

Comparison Task Clinic

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

* 6 sessions in the clinic of a presumably inactive neutral-neutral stimuli intervention lasting approximately 10 minutes each. * Each session will consist of 128 presentations of pairs of faces, followed by the presentation of a response cue (right or left arrow to be clicked on a computer keyboard). (Note that those receiving this arm, are invited to repeat the attention control training web-delivery arm at the end of their participation).

Behavioral: Attention Control Training; Behavioral: Comparison Task

Interventions

Attention Control Training BEHAVIORAL

Attention control training teaches participants that the emotional salience of cues (i.e., threatening or neutral) is not related to successful completion of the computerized response task, and thus, teaches participants to ignore irrelevant threat-related contingencies (Badura-Brack et al., 2015).

Attention Control Training Clinic; Attention Control Training Web-delivery; Comparison Task Clinic

Comparison Task BEHAVIORAL

Neutral- neutral stimuli prior to response task

Comparison Task Clinic

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 19 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• military veteran or woman exposed to interpersonal violence (e.g. domestic or sexual violence).
• significant symptoms of PTSD

You may not qualify if:

• bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, unable to attend sessions sober.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Creighton University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska, 68178, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Badura-Brack AS, Naim R, Ryan TJ, Levy O, Abend R, Khanna MM, McDermott TJ, Pine DS, Bar-Haim Y. Effect of Attention Training on Attention Bias Variability and PTSD Symptoms: Randomized Controlled Trials in Israeli and U.S. Combat Veterans. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 Dec;172(12):1233-41. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.14121578. Epub 2015 Jul 24.

  PMID: 26206075 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER
• Masking Details: Random assignment and coded entry to a computer website
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Psychology

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 16, 2017
• First Posted: November 22, 2017
• Study Start: November 17, 2017
• Primary Completion: November 17, 2020
• Study Completion: November 17, 2020
• Last Updated: July 19, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)