Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD
Conditions
Keywords
Vestibular Rehabilitation, PTSD, DSM-IV
Brief summary
The specific aim of this proposed study is to compare the effectiveness of Vestibular Rehabilitation (VR) in patients with PTSD who have suffered combat related traumatic brain injuries in a randomized controlled trial in terms of PTSD symptom reduction.
Detailed description
The study has been approved by our Institutional IRB and conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The trial will be registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. There is equipoise. This randomized controlled trial will compare the effectiveness of VR in in patients with PTSD who have suffered combat related traumatic brain injuries. A blinded investigator that will not be involved in the study will perform the randomization and allocation procedure. We will accomplish the specific aim of our study by analyzing the difference in the Clinician Administered DSM-IV PTSD Scale (CAPS) scores between the two groups in our study as outcomes to compare the effectiveness of VR. The CAPS is considered to be the gold standard for diagnosing PTSD and assessing symptom severity. We expect differences in the outcomes between both treatments to be immediate and at follow-up over time, i.e. immediately after 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after cessation of a 2 week treatment period. The study design will include one pre-treatment assessment and our post-treatment assessments (at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months). Investigators who will be blinded for the allocated treatment will perform all assessments. The study will be performed at the department of Neurology of our Institutional Brain Center in Dallas, Texas. Patient recruitment will begin starting in September 2014.
Interventions
PROCEDUREVestibular Rehabilitation
Stimulation of the vestibular system by off axis rotational therapy, gaze stabilization, eye movement strategies, balance training
Sponsors
Carrick Brain Centers
Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Veterans with extended combat exposure, confirmed by DD-214 with combat medal and honorable discharge. * Ages 18-60. * Texas residents (Per funding agency). * Medical history of TBI/head injury which occurred through military service. * Previous medical diagnosis of PTSD or currently suffering from PTSD-like symptoms. * Have attempted at least two of the following therapies with no significant outcome, or intolerable adverse effects: Anti-psychotic therapy (eg. Seroquel), SSRI therapy (i.e. Fluoxitiene, Celexa, etc), Atypical antidepressant therapy (Wellbutrin), Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Desensitization/exposure therapy, another form of Psychotherapy (Talk therapy), EMDR, or any other recognized therapy indicated for PTSD.
Exclusion criteria
* Concurrent therapy, including concurrent psychotherapy or pharmaceutical therapy. * Currently addicted to alcohol or an illegal substance. If you have been through an inpatient program, you must have been released at least 90 days prior to treatment start date and have remained free from drugs and alcohol since the release from inpatient. * Threat of harm to self and/or others * Psychotic disorder that would prevent compliance (e.g. dissociative disorder, schizophrenia, history of catatonic states). * Physical condition that would prevent any part of the treatment from being conducted in a safe and complete manner. * Concussion within the last 30 days. * History of stroke. * Neurodegenerative disease. * History of brain surgery, which included the removal of brain tissue. * Previously convicted of a felony crime.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in DSM-IV CAPS | pre and post treatment and 3 months, 6 months and 1 year | Neuropsychiatric evaluation using gold standard DSM-IV protocols |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Computerized Dynamic Posturography | pre and post treatment and 3 months, 6 months and 1 year | Force plate measurement of center of pressure and limits of stability |
| Change in Saccadometry/VNG | pre and post treatment and 3 months, 6 months and 1 year | Measurement of visual fixation, saccades, pursuits and optokinetic responses |
| Change in ImPACT testing | pre and post treatment and 3 months, 6 months and 1 year | Validated neuropsychological computerized testing |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed