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Post-Traumatic Stress DisordersNCT01278316

Rural Veterans With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) And Comorbid Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A Feasibility Study

A study testing Cognitive Training in people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury, run by Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study is being conducted to understand whether training in tasks that require perceiving and thinking about things, or cognition, can improve memory in veterans who have been exposed to a blast explosion and have TBI and PTSD. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 20 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Cognitive Training
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
16 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jan 2011to May 2015
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 20 to 40 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Rural residence
  • Willingness to commit to the time requirements of the study
  • Undergoing treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as assessed by a clinician, diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Native English speaker
  • 20-40 years
  • Normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing.

Who cannot join

  • Substance dependence
  • Major depression with suicidal ideation
  • Psychotic disorder
  • History of neurological disorder other than mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to blast from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) (i.e., Afghanistan and Iraq wars) deployment
  • History of known or suspected learning disorder.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

    Houston, Texas, 77030

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Remote Administration Of Cognitive Training Tasks In Rural Veterans With PTSD And Comorbid Mild TBI: A Feasibility Study

This study is being conducted to understand whether training in tasks that require perceiving and thinking about things, or cognition, can improve memory in veterans who have been exposed to a blast explosion and have TBI and PTSD. A primary goal of the study is to determine whether it is feasible for veterans who don't live close to a VA to perform this cognitive training at home.

Read the detailed description

Many military personnel have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the current Afghanistan and Iraq wars. TBI occurs when a sudden force causes the brain to move, causing damage to brain cells. PTSD is an anxiety disorder associated with serious traumatic events. Blast explosions can lead to TBI. People who experience TBI as a result of a blast injury are more likely to experience PTSD than people who have TBI not due to blast. TBI and PTSD may be associated with memory problems in some patients. Because therapy for PTSD sometimes requires learning new ways to think about things and making new responses, being able to remember the new information being learned is important. It is possible that improving memory may also improve PTSD treatment.

This is a prospective study of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Afghanistan and Iraq wars; OEF/OIF) veterans who will undergo two neuropsychological and psychiatric assessments prior and subsequent to a cognitive training intervention. This is a feasibility study to ascertain whether OEF/OIF veterans diagnosed with mild TBI and comorbid PTSD and who live in rural locations will adhere to the schedule demands required of a computer-based cognitive training protocol.

Being tested
Control, Cognitive Training
Keywords
PTSD, TBI, Cognition, Cognitive Training
Medical subject headings
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Brain Injuries, Traumatic

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ControlBehavioural

    Participants will be asked to perform computerized tasks that involve auditory and verbal performance one hour each day, five days per week for 8-10 weeks. Six tasks requiring auditory and verbal information will be presented.

  • Cognitive TrainingBehavioural

    Participants will be asked to perform the Brain Fitness (PositScience) cognitive training tasks an hour each day, five days per week for 8-10 weeks. Six tasks manipulating auditory and verbal information will be presented, and stimuli from all tasks are presented auditorily. All tasks are designed to begin with the lowest level of difficulty required to attain 85% accuracy, and as performance improves, difficulty increases to maintain 85% accuracy, with difficulty decreasing if accuracy decreases.

Study groups in NCT01278316
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Cognitive trainingExperimentalCognitive Intervention Tasks Participants will be asked to perform the Brain Fitness (PositScience) cognitive training tasks an hour each day, five days per week for 8-10 weeks. Six tasks manipulating auditory and verbal information will be presented, and stimuli from all tasks are presented auditorily. All tasks are designed to begin with the lowest level of difficulty required to attain 85% accuracy, and as performance improves, difficulty increases to maintain 85% accuracy, with difficulty decreasing if accuracy decreases.
Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive Training
ControlActive comparatorThe control group will perform computerized tasks that utilize cognitive performance, but were not systematically developed to improve cognitive performance.
Receives: Behavioral: Control

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Compliance rates

    Compliance is defined as number of times per week and number of hours per day of task performance

    Measured: Up to ten weeks

  2. Qualitative assessment

    Participants' reactions to the study will be gathered with Likert scale ratings of perceived problems of delivery, ease of program use, and perceived improvement of cognition. Open-ended responses to structured questions on likes and dislikes, suggestions for improvement, and overall satisfaction will also be implemented.

    Measured: Up to ten weeks

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Improvement in performance over time

    Performance at the beginning of the training session of each task will be compared to performance at the completion of the training session of each task.

    Measured: Up to ten weeks

  2. Relation of performance to mental health

    Scores on pre- and post- mental health measures will also be related to task performance

    Measured: At ten weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Jan 2011 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2011
  3. Primary completionJan 2015
  4. Study completionMay 2015

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
16 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01278316
Sponsor's protocol ID
H-27735
Other IDs
10K09.H
Status last verified
Mar 2018
First submitted
14 Jan 2011
Last updated
22 Mar 2018
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Cognitive Training in people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury, run by Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Mar 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Compliance rates (time frame: Up to ten weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Mar 2018.

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