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Attention Bias Modification for PTSD (SMART Trial)

N/A
Recruiting
Led By Joaquin Anguera, PhD
Research Sponsored by University of California, San Francisco
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be between 18 and 65 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 4 weeks, 8 weeks
Awards & highlights

SMART Trial Summary

This trial will compare the effects of attention bias modification (ABM), attention control training (ACT), placebo neutral attention training, and a final control condition with daily questions in 1,897 individuals with clinically significant Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS).

Who is the study for?
This trial is for individuals aged 18 to 55 who have significant post-traumatic stress symptoms, as indicated by a score of at least 33 on the PCL-5. Participants must own a smartphone compatible with the study's app and be willing to engage in daily training for two weeks. Those without the required smartphone or current suicidal thoughts cannot participate.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study tests four different smartphone-based trainings: attention bias modification, attention control training, placebo neutral attention training, and a control condition involving daily questions. The goal is to see how these affect attention bias and self-reported stress symptoms over eight weeks in nearly 1,900 participants.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
Since this trial involves non-invasive app-based interventions focused on modifying attention patterns related to trauma, there are no direct physical side effects expected from participation.

SMART Trial Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~4 weeks, 8 weeks
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 4 weeks, 8 weeks for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Change in PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL) Score (Before/After Training)
Change in PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL) Score (Follow-up)

SMART Trial Design

7Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Placebo Group
Group I: Attention Control Training - Word StimuliExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Attention control training involves a probe detection task as follows: (1) a fixation cross appears on the screen for 500ms; (2) the fixation cross is replaced by two target stimuli (i.e. one threat word and one neutral word) that are displayed at the top and the bottom of the screen for 500ms; (2) the stimuli disappear and a visual probe appears (the letter E or F), in the location of one of the two stimuli until the participant responds to indicate whether the letter was an E or an F using response buttons at the bottom of the phone screen. In the active ACT condition, the probe replaces the neutral stimulus 50% of the time, and replaces the threat stimulus the other 50%.
Group II: Attention Bias Modification - Word StimuliExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Attention bias modification training involves a probe detection task as follows: (1) a fixation cross appears on the screen for 500ms; (2) the fixation cross is replaced by two target stimuli (one threat word and one neutral word) that are displayed at the top and the bottom of the screen for 500ms; (2) the stimuli disappear and a visual probe appears (the letter E or F), in the location of one of the two stimuli until the participant responds to indicate whether the letter was an E or an F using response buttons at the bottom of the phone screen. In the active ABM condition, the probe replaces the neutral stimulus 100% of the time.
Group III: Attention Bias Modification - Face StimuliActive Control1 Intervention
Attention bias modification training involves a probe detection task as follows: (1) a fixation cross appears on the screen for 500ms; (2) the fixation cross is replaced by two target stimuli (one threatening face and one neutral face) that are displayed at the top and the bottom of the screen for 500ms; (2) the stimuli disappear and a visual probe appears (the letter E or F), in the location of one of the two stimuli until the participant responds to indicate whether the letter was an E or an F using response buttons at the bottom of the phone screen. In the active ABM condition, the probe replaces the neutral stimulus 100% of the time.
Group IV: Attention Control Training - Face StimuliActive Control1 Intervention
Attention control training involves a probe detection task as follows: (1) a fixation cross appears on the screen for 500ms; (2) the fixation cross is replaced by two target stimuli (one threatening face and one neutral face) that are displayed at the top and the bottom of the screen for 500ms; (2) the stimuli disappear and a visual probe appears (the letter E or F), in the location of one of the two stimuli until the participant responds to indicate whether the letter was an E or an F using response buttons at the bottom of the phone screen. In the active ACT condition, the probe replaces the neutral stimulus 50% of the time, and replaces the threat stimulus the other 50%.
Group V: Control - QuestionsPlacebo Group1 Intervention
The Control - Questions condition will only deliver a set of daily questions for participants to answer. Questions will ask about a variety of psychological factors such as mood, stress experiences, daily exercise and more.
Group VI: Placebo Attention Training - Face StimuliPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Placebo attention training involves a probe detection task as follows: (1) a fixation cross appears on the screen for 500ms; (2) the fixation cross is replaced by two target stimuli (two neutral faces) that are displayed at the top and the bottom of the screen for 500ms; (2) the stimuli disappear and a visual probe appears (the letter E or F), in the location of one of the two stimuli until the participant responds to indicate whether the letter was an E or an F using response buttons at the bottom of the phone screen.
Group VII: Placebo Attention Training - Word StimuliPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Placebo attention training involves a probe detection task as follows: (1) a fixation cross appears on the screen for 500ms; (2) the fixation cross is replaced by two target stimuli (two neutral words) that are displayed at the top and the bottom of the screen for 500ms; (2) the stimuli disappear and a visual probe appears (the letter E or F), in the location of one of the two stimuli until the participant responds to indicate whether the letter was an E or an F using response buttons at the bottom of the phone screen.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical CenterFED
48 Previous Clinical Trials
208,866 Total Patients Enrolled
University of California, San FranciscoLead Sponsor
2,500 Previous Clinical Trials
15,234,574 Total Patients Enrolled
Joaquin Anguera, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorUniversity of California, San Francisco

Media Library

Attention Bias Modification Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT04888169 — N/A
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Research Study Groups: Attention Bias Modification - Face Stimuli, Control - Questions, Attention Bias Modification - Word Stimuli, Attention Control Training - Word Stimuli, Placebo Attention Training - Face Stimuli, Attention Control Training - Face Stimuli, Placebo Attention Training - Word Stimuli
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Trial 2023: Attention Bias Modification Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT04888169 — N/A
Attention Bias Modification 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT04888169 — N/A

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

Is there an upper age limit for participants in this medical experiment?

"This trial is limited to participants aged 18-55."

Answered by AI

What criteria must be met to participate in this clinical trial?

"This clinical trial is recruiting 1897 participants with moral injury and aged 18 to 55."

Answered by AI

Are new participants being welcomed into this research endeavor?

"The information found on clinicaltrials.gov suggests that this trial, which was first posted on September 1st 2022 and last updated in August 11th 2022, is no longer admitting patients at the present time. Nonetheless, there are still 416 trials actively recruiting participants across the country."

Answered by AI

Who else is applying?

What site did they apply to?
University of California, San Francisco
What portion of applicants met pre-screening criteria?
Met criteria
Recent research and studies
clinicaltrials.govStudy
Studying the Modification of Attention Bias Remotely After Trauma
2023. "Studying the Modification of Attention Bias Remotely After Trauma". ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04888169.
~948 spots leftby Apr 2025
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