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EmotionsNCT01806701

Brain Response to Treatment for Pediatric PTSD

A study testing Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in people with Emotions and Memory Deficits, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will examine how brain activation changes as a result of behavioral treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescents. The investigators will conduct functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans before and after the widely-used trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy to better… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 9 to 17 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Emotions, Memory Deficits, Post-traumatic Syndrome
What is being tested?
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
68 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Apr 2013to May 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 9 to 17 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • ages 12-17, history of physical or sexual abuse, witnessing violence, or bullying; and English speaking

Who cannot join

  • receiving other psychotherapy currently, taking medications for a psychiatric disorder currently, history of head injury with loss of consciousness longer than 5 minutes; major medical condition such as epilepsy, diabetes, heart disease, or loss of hearing or vision, developmental disorder such as fragile X, autism, or Down's Syndrome, MRI contraindications including metal in the body from an injury or surgery, non-removeable piercings, or braces, Intelligence Quotient (IQ) < 70; schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, current substance abuse.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Stanford University

    Palo Alto, California, 94305

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Biomarkers of Clinical Response to Cognitive Treatment of PTSD in Youth

This study will examine how brain activation changes as a result of behavioral treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescents. The investigators will conduct functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans before and after the widely-used trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy to better understand how the brain recovers from illness. This study will provide much needed information about brain abnormalities in abused youth, and could lead to improvements in behavioral treatments for patients who do not respond to current treatments.

Read the detailed description

This is a neuroimaging study of changes in brain function associated with trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)for abused youth suffering from PTSD. By scanning patients before and after treatment, the investigators will identify mediators (potential mechanisms) of recovery from PTSD.

Childhood maltreatment is unfortunately common, and can lead to significant problems in school, emotional difficulties, and physical ailments. Frequently, abused children develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as re-experiencing aspects of the trauma, avoiding trauma-related situations, and suffering from chronic hyperarousal. PTSD can inflict significant stress-related damage on the brain at any age, but may be particularly damaging during developmental periods such as adolescence. Therefore, effective treatments for PTSD in youth are critical, and this depends in part on our ability to understand the neural abnormalities underlying pediatric PTSD, and the brain changes accompanying recovery from PTSD.

TF-CBT is the "gold-standard" treatment for this population however, some patients continue to experience symptoms of PTSD following treatment. Examining neural changes associated with successful treatment may suggest adjunctive or additional steps to enhance recovery in non-responders or partly responsive patients.

The investigators will assess brain activation in response to an emotion-related task in 40 adolescents with PTSD before and after a 12 week TF-CBT treatment, conducted at Stanford University. The fidelity of TF-CBT treatment will be assured through ongoing consultation between clinicians and treatment co-creator Judith Cohen, M.D. Neuroimaging analyses will assess patterns of activation associated with response to TF-CBT. Also, the investigators will scan 30 age-matched healthy controls recruited from the same community, to compare with patients to identify abnormalities in brain structure and function in the PTSD group. Controls will be scanned before and after a 12-week interval as well, to allow analyses of test/retest reliability of fMRI measures in this age group.

Being tested
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy
Keywords
fMRI, neuroimaging, PTSD, adolescent, trauma, brain
Medical subject headings
Memory Disorders, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Wounds and Injuries

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapyBehavioural

    Also called TF-CBT

    the 'gold-standard' behavioral treatment for children/adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder

Study groups in NCT01806701
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PsychotherapyExperimentalTrauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Receives: Behavioral: Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. functional magnetic resonance imaging (brain activation)

    We will use functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure changes in brain activation after 4 months of psychotherapy

    Measured: change in brain activation after 4 months of treatment (baseline and 4 months)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted7 Mar 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2013
  3. Primary completionMay 2016
  4. Study completionMay 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
68 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01806701
Sponsor's protocol ID
MH097769
Other IDs
K01MH097769
Status last verified
Oct 2016
First submitted
27 Feb 2013
Last updated
13 Oct 2016
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in people with Emotions and Memory Deficits, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Oct 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

functional magnetic resonance imaging (brain activation) (time frame: change in brain activation after 4 months of treatment (baseline and 4 months)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Oct 2016.

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