Examining an Emergency Room Intervention for the Prevention of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Interrupting Traumatic Memories: An Emergency Room Intervention for the Prevention of PTSD

PTSD is a common and distressing possible outcome following exposure to a traumatic event. Recent studies show that memory processes may be central to the development of the disorder, and interrupting the consolidation of traumatic memories may prevent the disorder from developing. Specifically the use of a visual spatial task has been shown to reduce a key characteristic of PTSD, intrusions, in non-clinical populations. This study aims to administer a visual spatial task to recent trauma survivors in the Emergency Room, and compare PTSD and symptoms development in these patients as compared to a control group who did not carry out the task. The study hypothesizes that the task will result in less PTSD, lower levels of intrusions, dissociation and pain.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Computer game

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Israel
  • Jerusalem, Israel
    • Hadassah Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 18-65,
• no loss of consciousness,
• ability to understand study procedures and give informed consent,
• Hebrew as first language,
• experienced a potentially traumatic event as defined in DSM (objective danger and subjective feeling of fear).

Exclusion Criteria:

• current or past psychiatric treatment,
• current or past PTSD.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: No intervention; Subjects will be assessed, but no active intervention given
Experimental: Computer game; Subjects will play with computer game while in the Emergency Room	Other: Computer game; Playing with specially designed computer game while in emergency room

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
PTSD symptoms	PTSD status and symptoms as measured by the PSS	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hadassah Medical Organization
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: rena Cooper, MD, Hadassah Medical Organization

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Anticipated): September 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 13, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 13, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): July 14, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): July 14, 2010
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 13, 2010
• Last Verified: July 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: PTSD; prevention
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Disease Attributes; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Emergencies; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Other Study ID Numbers: ER-PTSD-HMO-CTIL