NCT02003352

Study of PTSD in Military Veterans Who Have Suffered Traumatic Brain Injuries

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Novel Brain and Vestibular Rehabilitation Treatment Modality in PTSD Patients Who Have Suffered Combat Related Traumatic Brain Injuries

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 98 (actual)
• Sponsor: Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Treatment for veterans who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and who are suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) is varied with varied outcomes. Investigators will study PTSD treatment in military Veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Investigators will use 1 independent specialty treatment centers that utilize a specific novel methodology of PTSD treatments and study the clinical outcomes of veterans who have suffered a TBI with associated post-concussive symptoms and other comorbidities such as PTSD. Investigators hypothesize that the treatment of PTSD will have a significant outcome with neurological physical and vestibular rehabilitation when compared to psychological or psychiatric therapy. This study will use gold standard measurement scales and compare changes in the scales after treatment to evaluate the treatments.

Detailed description

The Department of Defense and the Defense and Veteran's Brain Injury Center estimate that 22% of all combat casualties from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are brain injuries. Patients with TBI often meet criteria for PTSD on screening instruments for TBI and vice versa. No screening instruments available can reliably make the diagnosis of PTSD and the gold standard remains an interview by a skilled clinician using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) a 30-item structured interview that corresponds to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) criteria for PTSD. Treatment for veterans who have had a TBI and who are suffering from PTSD is varied with varied outcomes. Investigators propose a Randomized Prospective Clinical Trial of PTSD treatment in military Veterans that have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Investigators will use 2 independent specialty treatment centers that utilize different methodology of PTSD treatments and study the clinical outcomes of veterans who have suffered a TBI with associated post-concussive symptoms and other comorbidities such as PTSD. This study will use a baseline CAPS assessment and investigators will establish cut points and randomize from within those to establish a stratified randomization within groups. Subjects will undergo treatments and an outcome CAPS score will be obtained at the end of treatment as the primary outcome to calculate if there is a change in score that is statistically or clinically significant. Investigators also will utilize secondary outcomes to measure any changes in the scores obtained by these instruments. These instruments and measures such as Computerized Dynamic Posturography and video electronystagmography and saccadometry will be obtained before the initiation of treatment and when treatment is terminated to measure a change in score. All instruments will be used to measure changes in function that are related to changes in PTSD symptomatology and neurological function

Conditions

• PTSD
• TBI

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Functional Neurological Rehabilitation	Functional Neurological Rehabilitation Includes vestibular rehabilitation and physical rehabilitation. Vestibular rehabilitation utilizes strategies that involves movement of the head and eyes at various speeds and directions while the subject looks at a target. Physical rehabilitation involves exercises to increase mobility and increase strength.

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-03-01
• Primary completion: 2014-09-01
• Completion: 2014-09-01
• First posted: 2013-12-06
• Last updated: 2017-03-23
• Results posted: 2017-03-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States