Trial Outcomes & Findings for Attention-Bias Modification Treatment for PTSD (NCT NCT01888653)

NCT ID: NCT01888653

Last Updated: 2022-04-13

Results Overview

Measures severity of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms from 0 (least severe) to 80 (most severe).

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

50 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

4 weeks

Results posted on

2022-04-13

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Comparison-Training-Program
Placebo-training program: attention control training (ACT), is identical to the ABM protocol except that during the presentation of the trials where a threat word is presented, the probe will appear with equal frequency in the position of the threat and neutral word. Thus, neither threat nor neutral words provide information regarding the position of the target probe, and there is no contingency between the position of either threat or neutral words, and the position of the probes Attention control training (ACT): In the ACT condition, threat- face location, probe location, and probe type were fully counter- balanced with no contingency between face valence and probe location, thus resembling the assessment task.
Attention Biased Modification
Attention-bias-modification treatment (ABM) is designed to implicitly modify patients' biased threat attendance via computerized training protocols. During each session, 240 trials (80 neutral-neutral pairs, 160 threat-neutral pairs) will be presented. On trials where participants see one neutral word and one threat word, the probe will always follow the neutral word location. Although there is no specific instruction to direct attention away from threat words, on 66% of all trials (and 100% of the threat-neutral trials) the position of the neutral word will indicate the position of the target probe. Attention Bias Modification (ABM): The training protocol consisted of 160 trials per session with 120 angry-neutral and 40 neutral-neutral trials. Each participant was trained with an alternative set of faces to the one used in the assessment task (i.e. if measured with set A then trained with set B and vice-versa). In the ABM condition, training was contingent on the bias measure.
Overall Study
STARTED
24
26
Overall Study
COMPLETED
24
26
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
0
0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Comparison-Training-Program
n=24 Participants
Placebo-training program: attention control training (ACT), is identical to the ABM protocol except that during the presentation of the trials where a threat word is presented, the probe will appear with equal frequency in the position of the threat and neutral word. Thus, neither threat nor neutral words provide information regarding the position of the target probe, and there is no contingency between the position of either threat or neutral words, and the position of the probes Attention control training (ACT): In the ACT condition, threat- face location, probe location, and probe type were fully counter- balanced with no contingency between face valence and probe location, thus resembling the assessment task.
Attention Biased Modification
n=26 Participants
Attention-bias-modification treatment (ABM) is designed to implicitly modify patients' biased threat attendance via computerized training protocols. During each session, 240 trials (80 neutral-neutral pairs, 160 threat-neutral pairs) will be presented. On trials where participants see one neutral word and one threat word, the probe will always follow the neutral word location. Although there is no specific instruction to direct attention away from threat words, on 66% of all trials (and 100% of the threat-neutral trials) the position of the neutral word will indicate the position of the target probe. Attention Bias Modification (ABM): The training protocol consisted of 160 trials per session with 120 angry-neutral and 40 neutral-neutral trials. Each participant was trained with an alternative set of faces to the one used in the assessment task (i.e. if measured with set A then trained with set B and vice-versa). In the ABM condition, training was contingent on the bias measure.
Total
n=50 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
n=24 Participants
0 Participants
n=26 Participants
0 Participants
n=50 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
24 Participants
n=24 Participants
26 Participants
n=26 Participants
50 Participants
n=50 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants
n=24 Participants
0 Participants
n=26 Participants
0 Participants
n=50 Participants
Age, Continuous
37.21 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.29 • n=24 Participants
34.27 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.15 • n=26 Participants
35.68 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.22 • n=50 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
14 Participants
n=24 Participants
17 Participants
n=26 Participants
31 Participants
n=50 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
10 Participants
n=24 Participants
9 Participants
n=26 Participants
19 Participants
n=50 Participants
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected
0 Participants
Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.
Region of Enrollment
United States
24 participants
n=24 Participants
26 participants
n=26 Participants
50 participants
n=50 Participants
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS)
65.00 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.08 • n=24 Participants
62.23 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.39 • n=26 Participants
63.56 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.21 • n=50 Participants
Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD)
13.00 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.82 • n=24 Participants
11.77 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.18 • n=26 Participants
12.36 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.00 • n=50 Participants
PTSD Checklist Civilian Version (PCL-C)
62.12 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.16 • n=24 Participants
57.31 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.66 • n=26 Participants
59.62 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.58 • n=50 Participants
Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)
25.87 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.34 • n=24 Participants
24.58 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.36 • n=26 Participants
25.20 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.78 • n=50 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 4 weeks

Measures severity of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms from 0 (least severe) to 80 (most severe).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Comparison-Training-Program
n=24 Participants
Placebo-training program: attention control training (ACT), is identical to the ABM protocol except that during the presentation of the trials where a threat word is presented, the probe will appear with equal frequency in the position of the threat and neutral word. Thus, neither threat nor neutral words provide information regarding the position of the target probe, and there is no contingency between the position of either threat or neutral words, and the position of the probes Attention control training (ACT): In the ACT condition, threat- face location, probe location, and probe type were fully counter- balanced with no contingency between face valence and probe location, thus resembling the assessment task.
Attention Biased Modification
n=26 Participants
Attention-bias-modification treatment (ABM) is designed to implicitly modify patients' biased threat attendance via computerized training protocols. During each session, 240 trials (80 neutral-neutral pairs, 160 threat-neutral pairs) will be presented. On trials where participants see one neutral word and one threat word, the probe will always follow the neutral word location. Although there is no specific instruction to direct attention away from threat words, on 66% of all trials (and 100% of the threat-neutral trials) the position of the neutral word will indicate the position of the target probe. Attention Bias Modification (ABM): The training protocol consisted of 160 trials per session with 120 angry-neutral and 40 neutral-neutral trials. Each participant was trained with an alternative set of faces to the one used in the assessment task (i.e. if measured with set A then trained with set B and vice-versa). In the ABM condition, training was contingent on the bias measure.
Primary Outcome: Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS)
26.44 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 16.09
15.96 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 15.75

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 4 weeks

Measures severity of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms from 0 (least severe) to 80 (most severe).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Comparison-Training-Program
n=24 Participants
Placebo-training program: attention control training (ACT), is identical to the ABM protocol except that during the presentation of the trials where a threat word is presented, the probe will appear with equal frequency in the position of the threat and neutral word. Thus, neither threat nor neutral words provide information regarding the position of the target probe, and there is no contingency between the position of either threat or neutral words, and the position of the probes Attention control training (ACT): In the ACT condition, threat- face location, probe location, and probe type were fully counter- balanced with no contingency between face valence and probe location, thus resembling the assessment task.
Attention Biased Modification
n=26 Participants
Attention-bias-modification treatment (ABM) is designed to implicitly modify patients' biased threat attendance via computerized training protocols. During each session, 240 trials (80 neutral-neutral pairs, 160 threat-neutral pairs) will be presented. On trials where participants see one neutral word and one threat word, the probe will always follow the neutral word location. Although there is no specific instruction to direct attention away from threat words, on 66% of all trials (and 100% of the threat-neutral trials) the position of the neutral word will indicate the position of the target probe. Attention Bias Modification (ABM): The training protocol consisted of 160 trials per session with 120 angry-neutral and 40 neutral-neutral trials. Each participant was trained with an alternative set of faces to the one used in the assessment task (i.e. if measured with set A then trained with set B and vice-versa). In the ABM condition, training was contingent on the bias measure.
Secondary Outcome: PTSD Check List-Civilian (PCL-C)
20.22 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 15.07
7.84 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 10.24

Adverse Events

Comparison-Training-Program

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Attention Biased Modification

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Yuval Neria

Columbia University Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute

Phone: 6467748092

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place