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Lead
The University of Texas at Arlington
With
University of Texas at Austin
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with cognitive impairments. It has been indicated that hypoactivity of the prefrontal cortex plays a major role in the disrupted neural circuitry of mood and cognition.
Transcranial infrared laser stimulation (TILS) is a neural type of photobiomodulation that can elevate neuronal metabolism by exciting cytochrome c oxidase (CCO). Veterans with PTSD will receive prefrontal TILS interventions once-per-week for six weeks. They will also receive an additional sham intervention (laser power = 0) that will be randomly assigned into the first two sessions. Broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (bbNIRS) will be used to directly assess the CCO changes during every TILS/sham session.
Veterans' prefrontal functions will be evaluated with short-term memory tasks before and after each intervention. The prefrontal activities will also be imaged by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to objectively assess the functional changes due to TILS/sham interventions.
Age
18–60
Sex
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
You may be eligible if
War-zone and non-war-zone veterans
Ages 18-60 years old
Males and females
Able to read, speak, and understand English
Medical records showing prior diagnosis of PTSD (here it refers to the records prior to TILS, which will be assessed and obtained in Visit 1)
Medical records showing diagnosis of PTSD (here it refers to the CAPS-5 record prior to TILS, which will be assessed and obtained in Visit 1)
On stable doses of any psychotropic medications for at least 4 weeks
You may not be if
Significant physical disability to perform a computerized memory task
Past/current significant medical/neurological/mental health disorders known to affect cognitive functioning (e.g., stroke, dementia, schizophrenia, AIDS)
Presence of moderate/severe TBI, defined as having: alteration of consciousness/mental state \>24 hours; posttraumatic amnesia \>1 day; loss of consciousness \>30 minutes; and/or abnormal structural neuroimaging. We will not exclude veterans with mild TBI, which is found in nearly 50% of veterans with PTSD
Alcohol abuse/dependence for the past 12- months, as determined by the Rapid Alcohol Problems Screen score \>0
Drug abuse/dependence for the past 12- months, as determined by the Drug Abuse Screening Test-10 score \>2
Severe depression (PHQ-9 total score \>19), significant risk of suicide (SBQ-R \>6), severe headache (PHQ-15, Item e =2), and/or severe dizziness (PHQ-15, Item g =2)
Opiate use in the month prior to study entry
Clareo Health | Transcranial Infrared Laser Stimulation (TILS) of Prefrontal Cognition in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
