Skip to Main Content

Using Neuroimaging to track symptom change in PTSD treatment

  • Study HIC#:2000025892
  • Last Updated:06/18/2024

Have you experienced a life-threatening event?

If you are between the ages of 18-60 and have experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event, you may be eligible to participate in a research study examining brain activity in individuals with PTSD. Study visits involve a psychological screening over Zoom to determine eligibility, a 90-minute fMRI scan, and a 90-minute MEG scan. This is not a treatment study, but your participation will play an important role in helping to advance treatment.

Participants will receive $50 for the psychological screen, $100 for the fMRI, and $150 for the MEG, as well as travel reimbursement.

If you are interested in learning more, please email us at ptsd.stress.lab@yale.edu or call/text (203) 936-9322."

    Contact Us

    For more information about this study, including how to volunteer, contact:

    PTSD Stress Lab

    Help Us Discover!

    You can help our team find trials you might be eligible for by creating a volunteer profile in MyChart. To get started, create a volunteer profile, or contact helpusdiscover@yale.edu, or call +18779788343 for more information.

    Trial Purpose and Description

    The primary purpose of this observational study is to investigate brain activity in different groups of individuals while they are completing tasks involving positive, neutral, and stressful stimuli. This will be accomplished using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) imaging. We will utilize behavioral tasks to elicit physiological responses associated with the presence of psychiatric symptoms.

    Eligibility Criteria

    • Inclusion criteria: age 18-60; Confirmed PTSD diagnosis by clinician interview – CAPS-5. Other DSM Axis I disorders are permitted (if not listed in the exclusion criteria) as long as they are not considered primary disorders. Patients on a stable dose for 2 months of antidepressants; supportive psychotherapy will be allowed; patient who are still symptomatic 30-day following trauma-focused psychotherapy will be allowed. Recreational cannabis use will be allowed but must be stopped at least 2 days before of the imaging study; addictive and medical cannabis use has to be excluded. None-pathological alcohol consumption (moderate) should be allowed, if stopped before the day of imaging and subject Breathalyzer showing an alcohol level > 0% before the scan; negative urine toxic screen before scan.
    • Exclusion criteria: Patients with psychotic spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) will be excluded from the study based on a clinician administered SCID-5 Assessment. Medication: patients who are not on a stable dose for 2-months of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs or SNRIs); benzodiazepines (BZs) and other anxiolytics and hypnotic medications; antipsychotic; and mood stabilizers - will be excluded from the neuroimaging study. Patients in active trauma-focused CBT. History of mild TBI (loss of consciousness for more than 30 min); Any history indicating learning disability or mental retardation; neurological disorder (e.g., stroke, seizure, multiple sclerosis).

    Patients who experience emotional blunting during treatment might be considered to be excluded from the data analyses if impact on planned dimensional approach is observed. We will need to discuss the clinical presentation with screening psychologist and monitor blunt response of amygdala activation to the trauma memory vs neutral memory.

    Principal Investigator

    Sub-Investigators

    For more information about this study, including how to volunteer, contact: