F43.1 F43.8
Conditions
Interventions
Group 1: Visuospatial intervention: Writing down the content (reactivation) of a recurring trauma-related intrusion, followed by playing the computer game Tetris for 25 minutes (visuospatial condition
Sponsors
Universität Marburg, Campus Fulda
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: - A criterion for posttraumatic stress disorder according to DSM-5 - Experience recurrent intrusions (at least 5 intrusions per week) related to a single traumatic event that occurred at least 2 months ago - Fluent in German - Right-handed - (Partial) inpatient or outpatient therapy at the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at Fulda Hospital - Willingness and motivation to participate in the study
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: -Current substance abuse (excluding nicotine) or a history of such abuse within the past 6 months -Severe self-injurious behavior (defined as self-inflicted injuries requiring medical care) within the past 6 months -Psychotic symptoms within the last 6 months -Acute suicidal ideation -Contraindications for an MRI scan (e.g., pregnancy, ferromagnetic implants, claustrophobia), which will be ascertained separately
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| One-way interaction analysis of neural activity following the two resting-state fMRI scans. We hypothesize an increase in functional connectivity during the second scan compared to the first scan, and in the Tetris group compared to the control group, between the following bilateral regions: superior frontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, fusiform gyrus, and medial temporal cortex. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| In an exploratory analysis, neural activity (see above) is correlated with the following measures: symptom burden and changes therein following the intervention (PCL-5, PTSD Checklist), changes in the frequency of intrusions as a result of the intervention (assessed via an intrusion diary), and the degree of mental imagery (VVIQ, Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire). | — |
Countries
Germany
Contacts
Public ContactHenrik Kessler
Universität Marburg, Campus Fulda
Outcome results
None listed