Improving Performance of Combat Soldiers by Utilizing Attentional Training Based on Eye Tracking

NCT05306197 | Terminated

• 1 other identifier: TAU-GCFTperformance
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 79
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Military service in combat units entails exposure to traumatic events that require mental adjustment. To develop and efficiently apply attentional interventions aimed at enhancing soldiers' combat performance, it is essential to extensively investigate the efficiency of these training programs, which has yet to been done. The prupose of the current study is to examine the efficiency of the new attention eye-tracking based training, in comparison to RT-based training and to a control group, in improving performance of combat soldiers. In addition, the influence of the attention training on aspects of psychological resilience will also be examined in questionnaires.

Conditions

Military Combat Performance

Keywords

Attention Bias Modification; Randomized Control Trial; Eye-tracking

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Combat Performance

  Composite scores for Static marksmanship, simulator shooting performance (Bagira), running test grades, and obstacle course grades will be gathered from soldiers' commanders before and after intervention sessions to test for change.

  Approximately 3 months after baseline

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Post-Combat Trauma

  Change from baseline Post-Combat PTSD Symptoms at approximately 3 months

• Post-Combat General Anxiety

  Change from baseline Post-Combat General Anxiety Symptoms at approximately 3 months

• Post-Combat Depression

  Change from baseline Post-Combat Depression Symptoms at approximately 3 months

Other Outcomes (3)

• Post-Training RT-based Attention Bias toward threat

  Change from baseline Attention Bias within 3 months of baseline measurement

• Post-Training Subjective Attention Bias toward threat

  Change from baseline Attention Bias within 3 months of baseline measurement

• Post-Training Eye-tracking Attention Bias toward threat

  Change from baseline Attention Bias within 3 months of baseline measurement

Study Arms (3)

Gaze-Contingent Feedback Training (toward threat)

EXPERIMENTAL

In the task, 30 different matrices, each consisting of 16 faces, will be presented. Each matrix includes 8 angry faces and 8 neutral, 8 women and 8 men, and the locations are counterbalanced between matrices. The participants are asked to view the matrices in any way they choose, and the eye-tracking camera records their viewing location relative to the stimuli presented on the screen. At the beginning of each training session, the soldier will choose to which music he would like to listen during the 12-minute session from a diverse list of music. After calibrating the eye-tracker, the participant will be instructed to view matrices of faces as he chooses, as described above in the assessment task. The music chosen by the participant will play only when he is looking at threatening faces and it will stop when he looks at neutral faces. Thus, a change in viewing patterns is expected by implementing operant conditioning principles.

Behavioral: Gaze-Contingent Feedback Training

Active Comparator: RT-Based Attention Bias Modification (toward threat)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

A dot-probe task of 160 trials. Trials begins with a fixation cross (+), on which the participant is asked to focus (500ms). Then two face stimuli (one angry one neutral) are presented above and below the fixation cross (500ms). After the stimuli disappear, a target probe (right- or left-pointing arrowhead) appears in place of one of the face stimuli. The participant is asked to indicate which target probe was presented using a predetermined key. The target probe will remain on the screen until response, after which a new trial will begin. Participants are instructed to identify the probe type as quickly and accurately as possible. In the training task, all of the target probes will appear in the threat location (angry face). Thus, over multiple trials, learning is expected to occurs such that the threatening face predicts the location of the target probe, thereby achieving the desired change in attention pattern.

Behavioral: Attention Bias Modification

Non-Contingent Feedback Training

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

This condition is also based on the eye-tracking task (see Experimental Arm) with a fundamental change - The music chosen by the soldier will play continuously without any reinforcement for looking at threat or neutral faces.

Behavioral: Non-Contingent Feedback Training

Interventions

Gaze-Contingent Feedback Training BEHAVIORAL

Feedback according to participants' viewing patterns, in order to modify their attention toward threat stimuli.

Gaze-Contingent Feedback Training (toward threat)

Attention Bias Modification BEHAVIORAL

Attention training via repeated trials of a dot-probe task intended to direct attention toward threat stimuli using threat and neutral face stimuli.

Active Comparator: RT-Based Attention Bias Modification (toward threat)

Non-Contingent Feedback Training BEHAVIORAL

Participants listen to a musical track they chose with no operant conditioning.

Non-Contingent Feedback Training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Each soldier from the cohort that will give his written consent will be able to participate in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Hebrew proficiency is insufficient to complete the study questionnaires.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Tel Aviv University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Wald I, Fruchter E, Ginat K, Stolin E, Dagan D, Bliese PD, Quartana PJ, Sipos ML, Pine DS, Bar-Haim Y. Selective prevention of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder using attention bias modification training: a randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med. 2016 Sep;46(12):2627-36. doi: 10.1017/S0033291716000945. Epub 2016 Jul 5.

  PMID: 27377418 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Yair Bar-Haim, PhD

  Tel Aviv University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 22, 2022
• First Posted: April 1, 2022
• Study Start: March 14, 2022
• Primary Completion: February 27, 2024
• Study Completion: June 21, 2024
• Last Updated: July 9, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IL (1)