Research

Identify changes in levels of certain hormones, steroids, and other biological substances to “track” improvements in patients’ PTSD symptoms over the course of treatment; determine the specific changes associated with three different ways of delivering Prolonged Exposure therapy.

Improve access to PTSD treatment by evaluating whether 10 sessions of Prolonged Exposure therapy delivered via the Internet over eight weeks (Web-PE) is effective in reducing PTSD symptoms.

The goal of this study is to increase the capacity of military-based health services to accurately identify service members at risk for suicide and to make effective treatment referrals.

Evaluate two intensive outpatient formats of Prolonged Exposure therapy for active duty service members and veterans with combat-related PTSD.

Test active duty military personnel and veterans for PTSD symptom improvements resulting from electromagnetic stimulation to the brain; test for changes in brain network functionality induced by electromagnetic stimulation.

Determine whether therapy sessions for a proven PTSD treatment, Prolonged Exposure (PE), can be shortened to 60 minutes from the standard 90 minutes without compromising PE's high success rate. Improve understanding of how PE helps patients recover and how to enhance its benefits by observing what factors are related to PTSD symptom reduction during therapy, utilizing patient and provider reports as well as measurable physiological markers of stress.

Determine the efficacy of the medication doxazosin in reducing the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol/substance use in veterans with both PTSD and alcohol/substance use disorder; establish guidelines for measuring progress during clinical trials involving veterans with those disorders.

Evaluate the safety and efficacy of the drug ketamine in treating posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in active duty military personnel and veterans with PTSD who do not respond to treatment with antidepressant medications.

Evaluate the effectiveness of a Complementary and Integrative Health pain management program for veterans with chronic, polymorbid pain and compare that against the current standard treatment methods. The goal is to develop a blueprint for a drug-free alternative for pain management that decreases use of opioid pain medications in veterans who suffer from pain and trauma symptoms.

Improve understanding of behavior patterns of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder to guide development of improved therapies for PTSD.