NCT01072006

Top-Down Executive Control in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), PTSD and Combined

Top-Down Executive Control in TBI, PTSD and Combined TBI/PTSD

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 30 (actual)
• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This research investigates processes involved with one being able to focus on relevant information and ignore non-relevant information in veterans with PTSD and those with a history of traumatic brain injury. In addition, this study evaluates whether there is an additive effect of having both PTSD and history of TBI on ability to focus attention and inhibit distracting information.

Detailed description

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD both are characterized by deficits in attention, yet it is unclear as to whether this is related to an inability to focus on relevant information or ignore non-relevant information. History of TBI and PTSD are common to returning soldiers from OEF/OIF and thus is highly relevant to veteran health care. It is unclear how TBI and PTSD separately, and together, affect one's ability to focus attention versus inhibit distracting stimuli. This research investigates this issue by use of a working memory paradigm with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that entails the subject being instructed to ignore some stimuli and remember other stimuli resulting in discrete biomarkers of (1) task-related enhancement of neural processes as well as (2) suppression of task-irrelevant neural processes. In this way, the specific aspect of attention in TBI and PTSD will be elucidated in addition to exploring whether PTSD and TBI have an additive, or even synergist, effect when combined.

Conditions

• PTSD
• TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-06-07
• Primary completion: 2015-12-01
• Completion: 2017-04-21
• First posted: 2010-02-19
• Last updated: 2017-09-12
• Results posted: 2017-04-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States