Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Combined With Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD in Military Personnel With TBI

Part of paid clinical trials in San Antonio, Texas.

Sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Study ID
NCT07715799
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 70 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulator — DEVICE
    tDCS will be administered using a Soterix 1x1 Transcranial Direct Current Stimulator. The intervention for this study will compare five, 30 minute sessions of active tDCS (2.0mA) targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) vs. a sham condition (0.0mA) for the treatment of PTSD in a sample of military personnel with mild to moderate TBI.
  • Written Exposure Therapy — OTHER
    Participants in both treatment conditions will receive 5 weekly sessions of WET delivered as standard of care for PTSD. WET is an evidence-based, trauma-focused therapy for PTSD that is recommended by the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for PTSD that is brief and effective.

Study Details

In this study, the investigators are evaluating whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a brain stimulation technique, can be combined with Written Exposure Therapy (WET), a standard talk therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to improve treatment response and improve symptom of traumatic brain injury (TBI). After consenting to be in the study, participants will be asked to complete a baseline assessment of your psychological and physical health that will determine whether you are able to participate in the study. Following the baseline, you will be randomly assigned to receive tDCS or a sham/placebo. Everyone will also participate in 5 weekly WET psychotherapy sessions for 5 consecutive weeks. The first appointment will be 90 minutes and the subsequent appointments will be 60 minutes. tDCS or sham/placebo will occur during the writing portion of the session. All participants will also be asked to complete 1-, 3-, and 6-month posttreatment follow-up assessments.

Key Dates

First listed
Jul 20, 2026
Start date
Sep 30, 2026
Status verified
Jun 2026
Primary completion
May 30, 2030
Completion
Sep 1, 2030

Study Design

Enrollment
150 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: tDCS plus WET treatment
    Combined use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and Written Exposure Therapy (WET) once per week over 5 weeks
  • Sham Comparator: Sham plus WET
    Sham tDCS plus WET treatment once per week over 5 weeks

Primary Outcome Measure

Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) [ Time Frame: Baseline to 6 months ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan AntonioTexas78229-

Find similar trials in San Antonio, TX

By condition
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
By specialty
PsychiatryMental healthBehavioral health
By research site
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio· San Antonio, TX

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