Art Therapy QEEG Study for Service Members with a Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

Summary

Service members and/or recently separated veterans with post traumatic stress symptoms and mild traumatic brain injury may participate in 8 sessions including 2 sessions including interviews and questionnaires as well as 6 sessions of art therapy. In the art therapy, participants will be provided with a blank paper mache mask template and invited to alter the mask however they wish using a variety of art materials. The therapist will use the art-making process and culminating product to aid in self-reflection, reframe negative thoughts and feelings, and work through traumatic content. Prior to the session start participants will get set up with a mobile qEEG (worn like a hat and backpack). The qEEG will measure brain activity in a non-invasive way throughout the art therapy session to improve understanding of brain activity during the art therapy process.

Conditions

• Post-Traumatic Headache
• PTSD
• TBI
• TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)
• MTBI - Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Delayed Onset
• Sleep Disturbance
• Nightmare
• Nightmares, REM-Sleep Type
• Headache
• Irritable Mood
• Anger
• Eating Disorders
• Combat and Operational Stress Reaction
• Combat Stress Disorders
• Military Operations
• Military Activity
• Military Family

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Art Therapy

This is a pilot study in which every participant receives the art therapy intervention arm. There are no waitlist or control arms. Art therapy is one promising intervention that helps service members (SMs) develop a "visual voice," using imagery, symbolism, and metaphor to externalize emotions and experiences that they may not be able to express in words. The standardized, integrative mental health and human services approach of the art therapy program at the NICoE utilizes a mask-making directive to explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences of combat and self-understanding. This process is especially relevant to SMs with PTS symptoms who often remember their trauma as an incoherent, fragmented memory that is often predominantly sensory in nature. NICoE researchers have provided preliminary evidence suggesting associations between recurring art themes represented within the masks and individual BH symptoms.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Intrepid Center of Excellence

  collaborator FED

• Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

  lead FED

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

64 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-10-30

Primary Completion

2024-01-25

Completion

2024-01-25

Countries

• United States

Study Locations