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Fear and Avoidance in PTSD Patients

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston · with National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) · NCT04770584

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 18–70 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
300
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
September 9, 2021
Record last updated
May 5, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

The purpose of this research study is to study how the brain learns to avoid certain stimuli or situations using an experimental paradigm. The big goal is to measure brain responses and subject's feelings and expectations when they are learning to actively avoid experimental stimuli, and how fear extinction learning and monetary cost can change how and when subjects are to avoid.

Being studied: Fear Conditioning; Avoidance conditioning; Pavlovian fear extinction learning; Willingness to pay to avoid shock

Conditions: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • 18 - 70 years of age
  • Female or Male
  • Inclusion Criteria: PTSD Subjects

a. Diagnosis of current PTSD

  • Inclusion Criteria: Trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHC)
  • SCID diagnosis consistent with no current psychiatric disorders, and no current PTSD
  • History of trauma exposure
  • Inclusion Criteria: Healthy controls (HC)
  • SCID diagnosis consistent with no current psychiatric disorders ("Axis I" disorders).
  • No history of trauma exposure
  • Willing and able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria for ALL subjects

  • History of neurologic disease (e.g. tic disorder)
  • Current significant suicidal ideation, plan or intent or suicidal behavior in past 6 months based on CSSRS or Self-injurious behavior that involves suicidal intent, requires medical attention, or occurs daily
  • History of seizure or significant head trauma
  • History of the serious/significant psychiatric diagnosis ("Axis I" disorders)
  • Use of neuroleptics within one year prior to study
  • Current substance use (assessed by urine toxicology; positive urine toxicology screen for any substance, with the exception of THC). Per PI judgement and approval: if urine toxicology is positive for a substance, participant may be eligible to proceed with study provided their urine toxicology (or saliva test for THC) is negative at experimental visit(s)
  • Pregnancy (to be ruled out by urine ß-HCG)
  • Metallic implants or devices contraindicating magnetic resonance imaging
  • High risk of adverse emotional or behavioral reaction, and/or an inability to understand study procedures or the informed consent process

Additional exclusion criteria for Trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHC) group and Healthy controls (HC) group:

  • Current psychiatric diagnosis ("Axis I" diagnoses)

Recruiting US locations

  • UTHealth Houston

    Houston, TX 77054

    Site contact: Mohammed R. Milad, PhD · Mohammed.R.Milad@uth.tmc.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Mohammed Milad, PhD · 713-486-2754 · Mohammed.R.Milad@uth.tmc.edu
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Fear and Avoidance in PTSD Patients (NCT04770584) | Bored Studies