Regulation of prefrontal brain activity with fMRI neurofeedback in healthy subjects and patients with posttraumatic stress disorder

Not Applicable

• Conditions: F43.1; Post-traumatic stress disorder

• Registration Number: DRKS00006109
• Lead Sponsor: Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, RWTH Aachen University

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-05-30
• Study Completion: 2018-01-18
• Results First Posted: 2020-10-28
• Last Update Posted: 19 August 2024

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Complete
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 46

Inclusion Criteria

PTSD according to SKID diagnosis F43.1 as well as healthy subjects without any psychiatric diagnosis

For all subjects:
-Age: 18 - 75 years
-right-handed (Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, criterion: min. 8 out of 10 items; Oldfield, 1971)
-proficient knowledge of the German language

Exclusion Criteria

-pregnancy or lactation period,
-traumatic brain injury,
-neurologic or acute somatic diseases,
-known internistic (e.g. metabolic, endocrine or cardiac) dysfunction,
-contraindications - including relative contraindications - regarding MRI-research such as magnetic metal implants (also intrauterine device),
-extensive tattoos or claustrophobia,
-non-existent or diminished responsibility of the patient
-any substance dependence
-severe affective disorders
-multiple traumatisation since childhood/youth

Study & Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
By means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measured activity in the amygdala and DLPFC (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) in response to aversive pictures during cognitive reappraisal with versus without neurofeedback in patients with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and healthy subjects

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in Mood as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, expanded version (PANAS-X) before and after the Training and changes in PTSD severity as measured by Essener Trauma Inventory (ETI). The PANAS-X measures affect of 2 scales (positive and negative) and has several subscales for the discrete emotions. The ETI measures intensity of PTSD symptomatology on the scales Intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal and dissociation.