Post Traumatic Stress DisorderNCT03196999
Remotely Resolving Psychological Stress (Remote RePS)
A study testing Personalized Attention Bias Training, Neutral Attention Training Condition and Non-Personalized Attention Bias Training in people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The investigators have developed a mobile app called Resolving Psychological Stress (REPS) for people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The app will administer threat-related attention bias modification to individuals who score high on a PTSD checklist. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Personalized Attention Bias Training, Neutral Attention Training Condition and Non-Personalized Attention Bias Training
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 689 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 30 Nov 2017to 1 Nov 2018
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Must own an iOS device compatible with the app (i.e. iPhones or iPod Touches)
- Must score at or above 33 on PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), which indicates clinically significant PTSD symptoms.
Who cannot join
- Active suicidal ideation.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, 94143
About this study
Official title: Remote RePS: An Entirely Remote Study of an Attention Bias Modification Training "App" for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The investigators have developed a mobile app called Resolving Psychological Stress (REPS) for people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The app will administer threat-related attention bias modification to individuals who score high on a PTSD checklist. This study will be administered remotely to individuals in the United States. The aims of the study are to explore feasibility, acceptability and usability of the app in an entirely remote study, as well as to explore the efficacy of the app at reducing attention bias and PTSD symptom severity.
Read the detailed description
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly disabling disorder that affects approximately 8% of the population worldwide. Threat-related attention biases represent an important mechanism that may underlie PTSD symptoms. Such attention biases predict risk for PTSD following trauma exposure, and are thought to maintain some symptoms of PTSD. Research indicates that specific forms of computerized attention bias modification (ABM) training are effective in reducing attention bias for threat. We have developed a mobile app called REPS (Resolving Psychological Stress) to administer threat-related ABM training to people with symptoms of PTSD and have tested it in a laboratory-based pilot study of 22 people with elevated PTSD symptoms. Our preliminary data indicate that the app is highly acceptable to patients and that use of the app reduces attention bias for threat and PTSD symptom severity. The proposed study will expand on this prior lab-based study to test ABM training on an app entirely remotely. Our primary aim is to examine the feasibility, acceptability and usability of remotely administered app-based ABM training and to determine the efficacy of remote app-based ABM training in reducing attention bias and PTSD symptom severity. Our secondary aim is to examine whether a personalized version of ABM training results in greater attentional bias change and anxiety reduction compared to a non-personalized ABM training.
- Conditions
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Being tested
- Personalized Attention Bias Training, Neutral Attention Training Condition, Non-Personalized Attention Bias Training
- Keywords
- PTSD, Attention bias modification, Remote app-based study, Digital Health
- Medical subject headings
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Personalized Attention Bias TrainingDevice
This self-help program will aim to reduce neurobiological threat sensitivity with the ultimate goal of developing a low-cost and highly scalable self-help tool to alleviate symptoms of PTSD. The app can be used on an iOS compatible phone and involves a training program that aims to directly reduce threat sensitivity by modifying attention. The contents of the app will be personalized for each user.
Neutral Attention Training ConditionDevice
This self-help program is a placebo control program that will be used on an iOS compatible phone. The placebo will contain only neutral words.
Non-Personalized Attention Bias TrainingDevice
This self-help program administered on an app will aim to reduce neurobiological threat sensitivity with the ultimate goal of a low-cost and highly scalable self-help tool to alleviate symptoms of PTSD. The app can be used on an iOS compatible phone and involves a training program that aims to directly reduce threat sensitivity by modifying attention. The contents of the app will be the same for each user.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized Attention Bias Training | Active comparator | Personalized version of ABM Training. Receives: Device: Personalized Attention Bias Training |
| Neutral Attention Training Condition | Placebo comparator | Non-active version of ABM training. Receives: Device: Neutral Attention Training Condition |
| Non-Personalized Attention Bias Training | Active comparator | Non-personalized version of ABM training. Receives: Device: Non-Personalized Attention Bias Training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Score (Before/After Training)
Reported are the changes in the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) scores between baseline (Day 1) and post-training (Day 14) in each group. The PCL-5 assesses the presence and severity of 20 different symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each of the 20 items is scored on a severity range of 0 ("Not at All") to 4 ("Extremely"), for a final score range of 0 - 80. A score of 33 and above is indicative of clinically significant PTSD symptoms. Higher scores indicate worse PTSD symptom severity. A 10 point change (up or down) is considered a clinically significant change in PTSD symptoms.
Measured: 2 weeks
Change in PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Scores (Follow-Up)
Reported are the changes in the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) scores between post-training (Day 14) and follow-up (Day 56) in each group. The PCL-5 assesses the presence and severity of 20 different symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each of the 20 items is scored on a severity range of 0 ("Not at All") to 4 ("Extremely"), for a final score range of 0 - 80. A score of 33 and above is indicative of clinically significant PTSD symptoms. Higher scores indicate worse PTSD symptom severity. A 10 point change (up or down) is considered a clinically significant change in PTSD symptoms.
Measured: 6 weeks.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Jun 2017
- Study start30 Nov 2017
- Primary completion1 Nov 2018
- Study completion1 Nov 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Post Traumatic Stress DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, San FranciscoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants will be assigned to either a threat attention bias modification training or a neutral bias modification training.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 689 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Aoife S O'Donovan, Ph.D., Principal investigator, University of California, San Francisco
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03196999
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 17-22529
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Jun 2017
- Last updated
- 7 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Remote RePS: An Entirely Remote Study of an Attention Bias Modification Training "App" for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03196999
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 17-22529
- Conditions
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Keywords
- PTSD, Attention bias modification, Remote app-based study, Digital Health
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 689 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San FranciscoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Nov 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Nov 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Nov 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 23 Jun 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 7 Oct 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The investigators have developed a mobile app called Resolving Psychological Stress (REPS) for people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The app will administer threat-related attention bias modification to individuals who score high on a PTSD checklist. This study will be administered remotely to individuals in the United States. The aims of the study are to explore feasibility, acceptability and usability of the app in an entirely remote study, as well as to explore the efficacy of the app at reducing attention bias and PTSD symptom severity.
Detailed description
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly disabling disorder that affects approximately 8% of the population worldwide. Threat-related attention biases represent an important mechanism that may underlie PTSD symptoms. Such attention biases predict risk for PTSD following trauma exposure, and are thought to maintain some symptoms of PTSD. Research indicates that specific forms of computerized attention bias modification (ABM) training are effective in reducing attention bias for threat. We have developed a mobile app called REPS (Resolving Psychological Stress) to administer threat-related ABM training to people with symptoms of PTSD and have tested it in a laboratory-based pilot study of 22 people with elevated PTSD symptoms. Our preliminary data indicate that the app is highly acceptable to patients and that use of the app reduces attention bias for threat and PTSD symptom severity. The proposed study will expand on this prior lab-based study to test ABM training on an app entirely remotely. Our primary aim is to examine the feasibility, acceptability and usability of remotely administered app-based ABM training and to determine the efficacy of remote app-based ABM training in reducing attention bias and PTSD symptom severity. Our secondary aim is to examine whether a personalized version of ABM training results in greater attentional bias change and anxiety reduction compared to a non-personalized ABM training.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- Participants will be assigned to either a threat attention bias modification training or a neutral bias modification training.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized Attention Bias Training | Active comparator | Device: Personalized Attention Bias TrainingPersonalized version of ABM Training. |
| Neutral Attention Training Condition | Placebo comparator | Device: Neutral Attention Training ConditionNon-active version of ABM training. |
| Non-Personalized Attention Bias Training | Active comparator | Device: Non-Personalized Attention Bias TrainingNon-personalized version of ABM training. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Must own an iOS device compatible with the app (i.e. iPhones or iPod Touches)
- Must score at or above 33 on PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), which indicates clinically significant PTSD symptoms.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Active suicidal ideation.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized Attention Bias TrainingThis self-help program will aim to reduce neurobiological threat sensitivity with the ultimate goal of developing a low-cost and highly scalable self-help tool to alleviate symptoms of PTSD. The app can be used on an iOS compatible phone and involves a training program that aims to directly reduce threat sensitivity by modifying attention. The contents of the app will be personalized for each user. | Device | Personalized Attention Bias Training |
| Neutral Attention Training ConditionThis self-help program is a placebo control program that will be used on an iOS compatible phone. The placebo will contain only neutral words. | Device | Neutral Attention Training Condition |
| Non-Personalized Attention Bias TrainingThis self-help program administered on an app will aim to reduce neurobiological threat sensitivity with the ultimate goal of a low-cost and highly scalable self-help tool to alleviate symptoms of PTSD. The app can be used on an iOS compatible phone and involves a training program that aims to directly reduce threat sensitivity by modifying attention. The contents of the app will be the same for each user. | Device | Non-Personalized Attention Bias Training |
Primary outcome
Change in PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Score (Before/After Training)
Time frame: 2 weeks
Reported are the changes in the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) scores between baseline (Day 1) and post-training (Day 14) in each group. The PCL-5 assesses the presence and severity of 20 different symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each of the 20 items is scored on a severity range of 0 ("Not at All") to 4 ("Extremely"), for a final score range of 0 - 80. A score of 33 and above is indicative of clinically significant PTSD symptoms. Higher scores indicate worse PTSD symptom severity. A 10 point change (up or down) is considered a clinically significant change in PTSD symptoms.
Change in PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Scores (Follow-Up)
Time frame: 6 weeks.
Reported are the changes in the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) scores between post-training (Day 14) and follow-up (Day 56) in each group. The PCL-5 assesses the presence and severity of 20 different symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each of the 20 items is scored on a severity range of 0 ("Not at All") to 4 ("Extremely"), for a final score range of 0 - 80. A score of 33 and above is indicative of clinically significant PTSD symptoms. Higher scores indicate worse PTSD symptom severity. A 10 point change (up or down) is considered a clinically significant change in PTSD symptoms.
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 Oct 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Aoife S O'Donovan, Ph.D. principal investigator
University of California, San Francisco
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Personalized Attention Bias Training, Neutral Attention Training Condition and Non-Personalized Attention Bias Training in people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, run by University of California, San Francisco 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 2 inclusion and 1 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 7 Oct 2026. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 7 Oct 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Change in PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Score (Before/After Training) (time frame: 2 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 7 Oct 2026.