Effects of Games on Memory Reconsolidation and Trauma Symptoms
NCT ID: NCT06129435
Last Updated: 2024-03-05
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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RECRUITING
NA
120 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2024-02-23
2025-08-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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Innovative preclinical research has revealed that, after memory retrieval, previously consolidated memories temporarily enter a labile state and become vulnerable to pharmacological and behavioral disruptors. The impermanence of memory has potential clinical applications for the secondary prevention and treatment of memory-based psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety disorder and PTSD). Several randomized controlled experiments with healthy volunteers have shown that engaging in a taxing visuospatial task (playing the game Tetris) 24 hours, or up to four days, after viewing traumatic film (analogue trauma) significantly reduced the subsequent number of intrusive memories relative to those who completed no task or who played a control game. Similar findings have been replicated among individuals with PTSD. One study found that participants with complex and longstanding PTSD demonstrated a decrease in intrusive trauma memories after undergoing a trauma memory reminder and playing Tetris for 25 minutes in an inpatient treatment setting. Similarly, participants with a history of traumatic birth who underwent a trauma memory reminder and a single session of Tetris gameplay displayed significant reduction of intrusive memory frequency at one-month follow-up. Taken together, these findings suggest that visuospatial disruptors (i.e., playing Tetris) may have clinical utility in preventing or treating PTSD.
The overarching objective of this study is to investigate the effects of a visuospatial task on memory reconsolidation and trauma symptoms among trauma-exposed individuals after exposure to a trauma memory reactivation paradigm. To accomplish this, the investigators will conduct a three-arm placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. The three treatment conditions of the proposed study are: (1) visuospatial task (VST); (2) word association task (WAT); or (3) no treatment control condition (NT-CTRL).
The current study intends to expound upon this emerging area of research by conducting a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of behavioral disruptors (i.e., playing Tetris, playing a word association game, or no-game play control) after a trauma memory reactivation procedure among a trauma-exposed population.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
TRIPLE
Study Groups
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Visuospatial Task (VST)
Visuospatial Task (VST)
Participants randomized to the VST condition will play a visuospatial game (i.e., Tetris). Participants will be given two minutes to practice Tetris and then will be instructed to play for 15 minutes without stopping.
Word Association Task (WAT)
Word Association Task (WAT)
Participants randomized to the WAT condition will play a word association game. Research staff members will read from a list of 300 words, not associated with trauma, to the participant. The participant will verbally respond to each word out loud with the first word that comes to their mind. This word association task will continue for 15 minutes or until all 300 words are read, whichever occurs first.
No Game Play (NT-CTRL)
No interventions assigned to this group
Interventions
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Visuospatial Task (VST)
Participants randomized to the VST condition will play a visuospatial game (i.e., Tetris). Participants will be given two minutes to practice Tetris and then will be instructed to play for 15 minutes without stopping.
Word Association Task (WAT)
Participants randomized to the WAT condition will play a word association game. Research staff members will read from a list of 300 words, not associated with trauma, to the participant. The participant will verbally respond to each word out loud with the first word that comes to their mind. This word association task will continue for 15 minutes or until all 300 words are read, whichever occurs first.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Fluent in written and spoken English
* Has access to the internet
* Access to a computer (laptop or desktop) with a camera that has video and audio recording capability
* History of trauma exposure to either a motor vehicle (MVC), sexual assault, physical assault, or combat.
Exclusion Criteria
* Presence of significant suicidality or a history of a suicide attempt within the past 6 months
* History of psychosis within the past 6 months
* Changes in psychotropic medication (≤ 8 weeks)
* Currently receiving trauma-focused psychotherapy
18 Years
65 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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University of Texas at Austin
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Locations
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The Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders, The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas, United States
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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References
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Bolsoni LM, Crippa JAS, Hallak JEC, Guimaraes FS, Zuardi AW. Effects of cannabidiol on symptoms induced by the recall of traumatic events in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2022 May;239(5):1499-1507. doi: 10.1007/s00213-021-06043-y. Epub 2022 Jan 14.
Bradley R, Greene J, Russ E, Dutra L, Westen D. A multidimensional meta-analysis of psychotherapy for PTSD. Am J Psychiatry. 2005 Feb;162(2):214-27. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.2.214.
Deforges C, Fort D, Stuijfzand S, Holmes EA, Horsch A. Reducing childbirth-related intrusive memories and PTSD symptoms via a single-session behavioural intervention including a visuospatial task: A proof-of-principle study. J Affect Disord. 2022 Apr 15;303:64-73. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.01.108. Epub 2022 Jan 30.
Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods. 2007 May;39(2):175-91. doi: 10.3758/bf03193146.
Hagenaars MA, Holmes EA, Klaassen F, Elzinga B. Tetris and Word games lead to fewer intrusive memories when applied several days after analogue trauma. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2017 Oct 31;8(sup1):1386959. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1386959. eCollection 2017.
Hembree EA, Foa EB, Dorfan NM, Street GP, Kowalski J, Tu X. Do patients drop out prematurely from exposure therapy for PTSD? J Trauma Stress. 2003 Dec;16(6):555-62. doi: 10.1023/B:JOTS.0000004078.93012.7d.
James EL, Bonsall MB, Hoppitt L, Tunbridge EM, Geddes JR, Milton AL, Holmes EA. Computer Game Play Reduces Intrusive Memories of Experimental Trauma via Reconsolidation-Update Mechanisms. Psychol Sci. 2015 Aug;26(8):1201-15. doi: 10.1177/0956797615583071. Epub 2015 Jul 1.
Kessler H, Holmes EA, Blackwell SE, Schmidt AC, Schweer JM, Bucker A, Herpertz S, Axmacher N, Kehyayan A. Reducing intrusive memories of trauma using a visuospatial interference intervention with inpatients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). J Consult Clin Psychol. 2018 Dec;86(12):1076-1090. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000340.
Kessler H, Schmidt AC, James EL, Blackwell SE, von Rauchhaupt M, Harren K, Kehyayan A, Clark IA, Sauvage M, Herpertz S, Axmacher N, Holmes EA. Visuospatial computer game play after memory reminder delivered three days after a traumatic film reduces the number of intrusive memories of the experimental trauma. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2020 Jun;67:101454. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.01.006. Epub 2019 Jan 25.
Kessler RC, Aguilar-Gaxiola S, Alonso J, Benjet C, Bromet EJ, Cardoso G, Degenhardt L, de Girolamo G, Dinolova RV, Ferry F, Florescu S, Gureje O, Haro JM, Huang Y, Karam EG, Kawakami N, Lee S, Lepine JP, Levinson D, Navarro-Mateu F, Pennell BE, Piazza M, Posada-Villa J, Scott KM, Stein DJ, Ten Have M, Torres Y, Viana MC, Petukhova MV, Sampson NA, Zaslavsky AM, Koenen KC. Trauma and PTSD in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2017 Oct 27;8(sup5):1353383. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1353383. eCollection 2017.
Nader K, Schafe GE, Le Doux JE. Fear memories require protein synthesis in the amygdala for reconsolidation after retrieval. Nature. 2000 Aug 17;406(6797):722-6. doi: 10.1038/35021052.
Schottenbauer MA, Glass CR, Arnkoff DB, Tendick V, Gray SH. Nonresponse and dropout rates in outcome studies on PTSD: review and methodological considerations. Psychiatry. 2008 Summer;71(2):134-68. doi: 10.1521/psyc.2008.71.2.134.
Related Links
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Game Study Prescreen Eligibility Survey
Other Identifiers
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STUDY00005088
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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