Prevention of Combat-related PTSD Using Attention Bias Modification (ABM): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Tel Aviv University

Status: Completed

Conditions: PTSD

Treatments: Behavioral: Active ABMT4; Behavioral: Placebo; Behavioral: Active ABMT8

Study type: Interventional

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

Identifiers

NCT01723215

TelAvivU

Details and patient eligibility

About

Military deployment to combat zones involves exposure to trauma at a higher than average rate and therefore presents a unique opportunity to study predisposing factors to posttraumatic stress reactions and test strategies designed to prevent and ameliorate posttraumatic symptoms. Decades of scientific research on the origins of resilience and vulnerability to combat-related posttraumatic stress symptoms revealed various predisposing and protective factors. All these factors however, offer limited opportunity for systematic pre-deployment prevention efforts. Considering the magnitude of psychological adjustment difficulties encountered by combat personnel in deployment and the limited access to existing evidence-based therapies for PTSD, the development and testing of a novel evidence-based and theory-driven prevention protocol for these problems is of considerable significance. The current study translates cognitive-neuroscience knowledge and attention bias modification research into a novel computerized training tool that could be easily delivered to soldiers during different stages of the deployment cycle. If proved efficacious in reducing risk for posttraumatic symptoms ABMT could be integrated into the Army's resilience training program. Thus, we propose a longitudinal double-blind randomized controlled study of ABMT in soldiers. We will assess attention bias and symptoms before deployment, will randomly assign soldiers to either 8 ABMT sessions, 4 ABMT sessions, 8 Placebo training sessions, or no training. Following 6 months of deployment to combat zone symptoms will be assessed again.

Enrollment: 862 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 28 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• combat soldiers

Exclusion criteria

• Fluent Hebrew

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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862 participants in 4 patient groups, including a placebo group

Active ABMT8

Active Comparator group

Description:

Active ABMT8 8 active ABMT sessions (10 min. each, over 7-8 weeks) designed to promote adaptive threat attendance

Treatment:

Behavioral: Active ABMT8

Active ABMT4

Active Comparator group

Description:

Active ABMT4 4 active ABMT sessions (10 min. each, over 7-8 weeks) designed to promote adaptive threat attendance

Treatment:

Behavioral: Active ABMT4

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Control: will not receive any intervention

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Placebo: will receive 4 training sessions(10 min. each, over 7-8 weeks) using the same task and stimuli as in the active arms, but not designed to change attention patterns

Treatment:

Behavioral: Placebo