Attention Control Training for PTSD Related to Combat or Interpersonal Violence

Creighton University

Status: Completed

Conditions: PTSD

Treatments: Behavioral: Attention Control Training; Behavioral: Comparison Task

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03350360

1123259

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Enrollment: 73 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 19 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

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

Exclusion criteria

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

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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73 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Attention Control Training Clinic

Experimental group

Description:

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).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention Control Training

Attention Control Training Web-delivery

Experimental group

Description:

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

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention Control Training

Comparison Task Clinic

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

* 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).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attention Control Training

Behavioral: Comparison Task