Comparing Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy to Prolonged Exposure in the Treatment of Soldiers with PTSD

Abstract

This randomized, single blind study is evaluating the efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) by comparing it to prolonged exposure therapy (PE) and a waitlist (WL) group in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in active duty (AD) Soldiers with combat-related trauma. During the first year, the study team developed the infrastructure to implement the trial including personnel hiring and training, process development to identify, screen, and enroll participants, completion of study-related VR Iraq scenarios, and research protocol development. Recruitment of soldiers for study participation continued during this reporting period. By the end of this reporting period, 145 referrals for treatment had been received, 84 subjects consented to study participation and 45 met all of the inclusion and none of the exclusion criteria and were randomized to treatment. There are few current challenges. New physiological assessment equipment is currently being acquired due to artifact levels found in preliminary analyses. Although enrollment is slightly behind schedule, the study is generally expected to proceed according to established timelines.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA543849

Entities

People

  • Greg Reger
  • Gregory Gahm

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Afghanistan Conflict
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Artifacts
  • Combat Injuries
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Employment
  • Health Services
  • Inclusions
  • Institutional Review Board
  • Medical Personnel
  • Training
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Virtual Reality

Readers

  • Clinical Trial Research.
  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.
  • Military Training and Readiness Simulation