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.
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
- Conditions the study is for
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury
- What is being tested?
- Cognitive Training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- 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
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 group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive training | Experimental | Cognitive 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 |
| Control | Active comparator | The 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.
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
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)
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
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.
- First posted17 Jan 2011 (estimated)
- Study startJan 2011
- Primary completionJan 2015
- Study completionMay 2015
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Post-Traumatic Stress DisordersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
- Sponsor type
- US federal agency
- Collaborators
- South Central VA Mental Illness Research, Education & Clinical Center
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mary Newsome, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
- Investigators
- Mary R Newsome, PhD, Principal investigator, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
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
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Mar 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Remote Administration Of Cognitive Training Tasks In Rural Veterans With PTSD And Comorbid Mild TBI: A Feasibility Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01278316
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- H-27735
- Keywords
- PTSD, TBI, Cognition, Cognitive Training
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical CenterUS federal agency
- Collaborators
- South Central VA Mental Illness Research, Education & Clinical Center
- Study start
- Jan 2011
- Primary completion
- Jan 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- May 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 17 Jan 2011 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive training | Experimental | Behavioral: Cognitive TrainingCognitive 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. |
| Control | Active comparator | Behavioral: ControlThe control group will perform computerized tasks that utilize cognitive performance, but were not systematically developed to improve cognitive performance. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- 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
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 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.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| ControlParticipants 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. | Behavioural | Control |
| Cognitive TrainingParticipants 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. | Behavioural | Cognitive training |
Primary outcome
Compliance rates
Time frame: Up to ten weeks
Compliance is defined as number of times per week and number of hours per day of task performance
Qualitative assessment
Time frame: Up to ten weeks
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.
2 secondary outcomes
Improvement in performance over time
Time frame: Up to ten weeks
Relation of performance to mental health
Time frame: At ten weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Mar 2018.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Mary R Newsome, PhD principal investigator
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
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.