Acupressure and Stress Resilience

VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System

Status: Completed

Conditions: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)

Treatments: Other: Active Acupressure Treatment; Other: Placebo Acupressure Treatment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01614444

COMIRB# 12-0452

Details and patient eligibility

About

The current study will assess the efficacy of acupressure, a type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the Veteran population. Veterans with co-occurring mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be consented and randomly assigned to either an active or placebo acupressure treatment series of 8 sessions. The investigators will determine if acupressure affects aspects of day-to-day function, such as memory, sleep, mood, psychiatric health and stress resilience. This information will help identify potential treatment strategies to improve quality of life and overall function in this particular Veteran population.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Between the ages of 18-60
• Diagnosis of mild TBI and PTSD as assessed by interview and/or chart review
• Currently receiving or eligible to receive physical and/or mental healthcare through the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System

Exclusion criteria

• History of other significant neurological disease (e.g., Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis etc.) as assessed by interview and/or chart review. Such conditions could affect outcome measures independently, thereby creating an experimental confound.
• History or diagnosis of lifetime moderate to severe TBI, as assessed by interview and/or chart review.
• History of psychotic disorder or bipolar I disorder as assessed by structured interview. Such conditions could affect outcome measures independently, thereby creating an experimental confound.
• Inability to read the informed consent document or adequately respond to questions regarding the informed consent procedure.
• Prior experience with acupressure, as this would result in individuals potentially being able to detect Placebo treatments if randomly assigned to that group.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Acupressure Treatment

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Other: Active Acupressure Treatment

Placebo Acupressure Treatment

Placebo Comparator group

Treatment:

Other: Placebo Acupressure Treatment