Neuroimaging Memories of Fear and Safety in the Human Brain

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: PTSD; Fear Anxiety

• Registration Number: NCT04975009
• Lead Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin

Brief Summary

The purpose of this research is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how the brain forms associations between neutral and negative stimuli. The ultimate goal is to understand the neural systems involved in regulating negative emotional responses to fearful stimuli.

Detailed Description

This study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how the brain forms associations between neutral stimuli and a mildly uncomfortable electrical stimulation to the wrist. Referred to as Pavlovian fear conditioning. The goal is to compare brain activity between individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and healthy control subjects without PTSD. PTSD is characterized by excessive fear and anxiety, including in harmless situations. The data here will help us better understand dysregulation in neural circuitry involved in fear recovery, which has implications for improving treatment.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-07-06
• Study Start: 2021-07-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-07-14
• Study First Posted: 2021-07-23
• Status Verified: 2022-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-05-16
• Last Update Posted: 2022-05-17
• Primary Completion: 2025-12-31
• Study Completion: 2025-12-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 240

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in physiological arousal throughout the experimental phases, compared between healthy controls and PTSD participants	through study completion, an average of 1 month.	Skin conductance responses measure sweating throughout the experiment. We compare the magnitude of this response during each phase of the experiment between groups.
Change in functional MRI data in fear-learning circuitry throughout the experimental phases, compared between healthy controls and PTSD participants	through study completion, an average of 1 month.	Participants undergo scanning on a 3-Tesla MRI during all experimental phases. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in key brain regions will be compared between groups.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Individual differences in brain-behavior responses	through study completion, an average of 1 month.	Individual participants arousal, as well as trait variable of anxiety and symptom severity, will be used as a covariate in neuroimaging analyses to assess brain-behavior correlations.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

The University of Texas at Austin; 🇺🇸 Austin, Texas, United States

Biomedical Imaging Center; 🇺🇸 Austin, Texas, United States