ACT With Feedback for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Tel Aviv University

Status: Completed

Conditions: PTSD

Treatments: Behavioral: Attention Control Training (ACT) with yoked sham feedback; Behavioral: Attention Control Training (ACT) with ABV feedback

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05242263

TAU-ABV

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy of Attention Control Training with the inclusion of feedback for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

It seems that the most efficient ABMT method to balance attention bias variability (ABV) among individuals with PTSD is Attention Control Training (ACT). This type of training is designed to balance attention allocation towards threat-related and neutral stimuli. A few studies have further shown that this training type succeeds in balancing the aberrant fluctuations in attention bias observed in patients with PTSD, and that this leads to a reduction in PTSD symptoms (Badura-Brack et al., 2015).

The purpose of the current study is to examine the efficacy of ACT that also includes feedback. Specifically, we intend to test whether the inclusion of feedback on top of standard ACT may enhance training efficacy in reducing ABV and in reducing PTSD symptoms.

Full description

The aim of the current study is to explore the efficacy of Attention Control Training with the inclusion of feedback for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Individuals with PTSD exhibit increased threat-related attention bias variability (ABV; Lacoviello et al., 2014; Naim et al., 2015). Based on these findings, computerized training methods aimed to modify the attention bias were developed (Attention Bias Modification Training; ABMT).

It seems that the most efficient ABMT method to balance ABV among individuals with PTSD is Attention Control Training (ACT). This type of training is designed to balance attention allocation towards threat-related and neutral stimuli. A few studies have further shown that this training type succeeds in balancing the aberrant fluctuations in attention bias observed in PTSD, and that this leads to a reduction in PTSD symptoms (Badura-Brack et al., 2015).

The purpose of the current study is to examine the efficacy of ACT that also includes a feedback component. Specifically, we intend to test whether the inclusion of feedback on top of standard ACT may enhance training efficacy in reducing ABV and in reducing PTSD symptoms.

For this purpose, we will recruit 60 IDF veterans diagnosed with PTSD that will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: ACT with feedback or ACT with yoked sham feedback.

We expect that ACT with feedback will produce greater reduction in PTSD symptoms and in ABV relative to ACT with yoked sham feedback.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of PTSD according to the DSM-5 and related to military service, ages 18-65

Exclusion criteria

• Psychotic or Bipolar disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, other psychological treatment, vision problems that are not overcome with regular glasses, physical disability that prevents ability to operate computer.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Training group - ACT with feedback

Experimental group

Description:

At the beginning of each session participants will complete 45 standard dot-probe trials. During these trials, participants' ABV will be measured and set as their baseline. In the following trials, participants will receive feedback: a green screen background when their ABV will reach below their baseline or a red screen background when their baseline ABV score is surpassed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention Control Training (ACT) with ABV feedback

Control group - ABV with yoked sham feedback

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group will receive sham feedback that is unrelated to their ABV during the task, this is by presenting a feedback given to another participant in the training group (i.e., yoked sham feedback).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention Control Training (ACT) with yoked sham feedback