Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Enhanced by Virtual Reality for Individuals With PTSD and Substance Abuse

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00656344

Enrollment

Registered

2008-04-11

Start date

2006-10-31

Completion date

2013-12-31

Last updated

2013-12-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Abuse

Keywords

PTSD, Substance Abuse, WTC attacks, Iraq War

Brief summary

This study is exploring the use of an intervention designed to treat PTSD in individuals with comorbid PTSD and substance abuse resulting from the attacks of September 11 or from military service in Iraq. A cognitive behavioral treatment protocol will be used to treat PTSD. The exposure component of the protocol will be enhanced with the use of virtual reality in which the client will view a virtual environment while describing their trauma.

Interventions

OTHERCognitive behavioral treatment enhanced by virtual reality

A cognitive behavioral protocol with cognitive and behavioral techniques will be used to treat symptoms. The exposure part of the treatment will be enhanced with the use of a virtual environment.

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 70 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* English-speaking * Between the ages of 18 and 70 * Exposed to the WTC Attacks (were in towers or in the immediate area) or veterans of the Iraq War * Diagnosed with PTSD symptoms * Current substance abuse disorder or history of substance abuse disorder

Exclusion criteria

* Presence of current organic mental disorder * Presence or history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression with psychotic features, delusional disorder * Active suicidal ideation, intent, or plan * Active homicidal ideation, intent, or plan * Use of pacemaker * Medically unstable * History of seizures

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
posttraumatic stress symptomatology	prior to treatment, during the treatment, immediately following treatment and 6 months after the completion of treatment

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
substance use symptomatology	prior to treatment, during treatment, immediately following treatment, and 6 months after the completion of treatment

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026