Tackling Intrusive Traumatic Memories After a Difficult Birth

June 21, 2021 updated by: Antje Horsch

Tackling Intrusive Traumatic Memories After a Difficult Birth: a proof-of Principle Study

This proof-of-principle study aims to investigate the effects of a brief behavioural procedure including a computerized visuospatial task (the computer game "Tetris") preceded by a reactivation of the traumatic memory of childbirth, on birth-related intrusive traumatic memories and other postpartum posttraumatic stress symptoms. Women who report birth-related intrusive memories after 6 weeks postpartum will monitor their intrusive traumatic memories in a daily diary. After two weeks of diary, they will meet a psychologist to briefly evoke the memory of their birth, and receive a brief behavioural procedure including playing Tetris. Participants will then continue to complete an intrusive traumatic memory diary during two weeks. It is predicted that they will report fewer intrusive memories in the two weeks following the intervention, compared to the two weeks before. This will inform the potential future development of a simple computerized intervention procedure to reduce distressing psychological symptoms after traumatic childbirth.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
23

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Switzerland
    • Canton De Vaud
      • Lausanne, Canton De Vaud, Switzerland, 1011
        • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Gave birth at the Lausanne University Hospital
  • Gave written consent
  • Have at least 4 related-to-childbirth intrusions over the two weeks prior to recruitment, and at least 2 related-to-childbirth intrusions during the pre-intervention diary
  • Gave birth more than 6 weeks ago
  • Is able to distinguish intrusions linked to the traumatic childbirth from intrusions linked to other traumatic events

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Gave birth to a stillborn child
  • Not fluent in French
  • Severe illness of mother or infant (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular disease, severe neurodevelopmental difficulties, malformations)
  • Have an established intellectual disability, or psychiatric history such as psychotic illness
  • Alcohol abuse and/or illegal drug use
  • Currently receiving psychological care in relation with the traumatic birth experience

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intervention
Behavioral: Brief behavioural procedure including a computerized visuospatial task (computer game "Tetris")
Brief behavioural procedure including a computerized visuospatial task (the computer game "Tetris") preceded by a reactivation of the traumatic memory of childbirth

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Frequency of intrusive memories of the index trauma
Time Frame: Within 2 weeks following the intervention
Frequency of intrusive traumatic memories related to childbirth recorded by participants in a trauma-related intrusive memories diary over the two weeks after the intervention
Within 2 weeks following the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Presence and severity of maternal PTSD symptoms
Time Frame: 1 month after the intervention
PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) for DSM-5
1 month after the intervention
Frequency of intrusive memories of the index trauma
Time Frame: Between 4 and 6 weeks after the intervention
Frequency of intrusive traumatic memories related to childbirth recorded by participants in a trauma-related intrusive memories diary between the 4th and 6th weeks following the intervention
Between 4 and 6 weeks after the intervention
Psychological distress related to intrusive memories of the index trauma
Time Frame: Within 2 weeks following the intervention
Rating scale for psychological distress related to intrusive memories related to childbirth that are reported in an intrusive memories diary over the two weeks after the intervention. It is a SUDS (Subjective Units of Distress Scale) from 1 to 10 (1= No distress at all while having the intrusion ; 10 = Extreme distress while having the intrusion).
Within 2 weeks following the intervention

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intervention acceptability
Time Frame: 1 month after the intervention
10-point Likert scale (1= The intervention was not at all acceptable; 10 = The intervention was extremely acceptable).
1 month after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Antje Horsch

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Antje Horsch, PhD, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 8, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 15, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 14, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 25, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 25, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 27, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 22, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 21, 2021

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2019-01435

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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