Meditation in Veterans With PTSD and Mild TBI

Summary

The goal of this study is to learn more about how Inner Resources for Veterans (IRV), a mindfulness and mantra therapy, helps Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). PTSD is a disorder that occurs after exposure to one or more emotionally traumatic experiences. People with PTSD may experience anxiety, pay extra attention to their surroundings, involuntarily remember their traumatic experiences, and/or want to avoid situations where these symptoms are increased. MTBI may result from being in a blast explosion, with pressure from the blast potentially disrupting the brain's structure and function. At this time, it is not well known how PTSD and mTBI may affect each other.

In this study, the investigators will be looking at the behavioral and neurological changes (changes in the brain) and the reductions in PTSD symptoms that may come from participating in this treatment. The investigators are interested in determining if treatment does reverse changes in the brain caused by PTSD and mTBI. To help the investigators understand changes in how the brain functions, the participants will complete a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan before and after either IRV or an active control group. Both conditions are 9-session, 12-week interventions. Participation will help the investigators understand how therapy for PTSD and mTBI impacts the brain's response to emotions and therapeutic processes.

Conditions

• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Concussion, Mild

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Inner Resources for Veterans (IRV)

Mindfulness and breath-focused mantra therapy which uses techniques that encourage present moment attention for the purpose of improving self-monitoring and self-regulation

BEHAVIORAL

Essential Skills therapy

This active comparator is adapted from a therapy utilized at multiple VAs as a psychoeducational AND symptom management treatment for PTSD. In it, participants learn about mTBI and PTSD symptoms and coping information for PTSD.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Palo Alto University

  collaborator OTHER

• VA Office of Research and Development

  lead FED

Principal Investigators

• Mary R Newsome, PhD · Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

49 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-11-03

Primary Completion

2017-06-30

Completion

2018-03-26

Countries

• United States

Study Locations