NCT06129435

Effects of Games on Memory Reconsolidation and Trauma Symptoms

Effects of Behavioral Tasks on Memory Reconsolidation and Trauma-Related Symptoms: A Randomized Clinical Trial

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 120 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a visuospatial task on memory reconsolidation and trauma symptoms for trauma-exposed individuals after exposure to traumatic memory reactivation paradigm.

Detailed description

It is estimated that over 70% of individuals worldwide have experienced a trauma within their lifetime. Many people spontaneously recover without formal intervention or treatment after exposure to a traumatic event, however, some individuals may develop intrusive trauma-related memories, avoidance, negative changes in cognitions or mood, or changes in arousal and reactivity, resulting in clinical or sub-clinical symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although empirically supported trauma-focused treatments currently exist (e.g., Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy), they are typically economically expensive, time consuming, require therapy sessions with a specialized provider, and have moderate to high nonresponse and dropout rates (20-50%). As such, there is a need for novel and palatable prevention and treatment strategies for PTSD. Innovative preclinical research has revealed that, after memory retrieval, previously consolidated memories temporarily enter a labile state and become vulnerable to pharmacological and behavioral disruptors. The impermanence of memory has potential clinical applications for the secondary prevention and treatment of memory-based psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety disorder and PTSD). Several randomized controlled experiments with healthy volunteers have shown that engaging in a taxing visuospatial task (playing the game Tetris) 24 hours, or up to four days, after viewing traumatic film (analogue trauma) significantly reduced the subsequent number of intrusive memories relative to those who completed no task or who played a control game. Similar findings have been replicated among individuals with PTSD. One study found that participants with complex and longstanding PTSD demonstrated a decrease in intrusive trauma memories after undergoing a trauma memory reminder and playing Tetris for 25 minutes in an inpatient treatment setting. Similarly, participants with a history of traumatic birth who underwent a trauma memory reminder and a single session of Tetris gameplay displayed significant reduction of intrusive memory frequency at one-month follow-up. Taken together, these findings suggest that visuospatial disruptors (i.e., playing Tetris) may have clinical utility in preventing or treating PTSD. The overarching objective of this study is to investigate the effects of a visuospatial task on memory reconsolidation and trauma symptoms among trauma-exposed individuals after exposure to a trauma memory reactivation paradigm. To accomplish this, the investigators will conduct a three-arm placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. The three treatment conditions of the proposed study are: (1) visuospatial task (VST); (2) word association task (WAT); or (3) no treatment control condition (NT-CTRL). The current study intends to expound upon this emerging area of research by conducting a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of behavioral disruptors (i.e., playing Tetris, playing a word association game, or no-game play control) after a trauma memory reactivation procedure among a trauma-exposed population.

Conditions

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Trauma

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Visuospatial Task (VST)	Participants randomized to the VST condition will play a visuospatial game (i.e., Tetris). Participants will be given two minutes to practice Tetris and then will be instructed to play for 15 minutes without stopping.
BEHAVIORAL	Word Association Task (WAT)	Participants randomized to the WAT condition will play a word association game. Research staff members will read from a list of 300 words, not associated with trauma, to the participant. The participant will verbally respond to each word out loud with the first word that comes to their mind. This word association task will continue for 15 minutes or until all 300 words are read, whichever occurs first.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-02-23
• Primary completion: 2024-10-31
• Completion: 2025-08-31
• First posted: 2023-11-13
• Last updated: 2024-03-05

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States