Skip to content
Bored Studies
RecruitingAccepts healthy volunteers

The Effects of Very Brief Exposure on PTSD in U.S. Combat Veterans

Children's Hospital Los Angeles · NCT06218381

View Study & Apply (opens in a new tab)

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 18–50 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
90
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
March 22, 2024
Record last updated
July 29, 2026

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

What the study is about

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop a new behavioral treatment for U.S. combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), very brief exposure to combat-related stimuli. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • How does Very Brief Exposure (combat images and control everyday images) and Visible Exposure to combat stimuli affect brain activity and subjective fear ratings?
  • To what extent are participants aware of the stimuli presented and tolerating the exposures?

All participants will view both very brief exposure and visible exposure to combat stimuli in the functional magnetic brain imaging (fMRI) scan. They will provide ratings of fear, awareness, and tolerability. Researchers will compare U.S. combat veterans with PTSD and healthy controls to confirm differences in brain region activation and ratings.

Being studied: Very Brief Exposure to Combat Images

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

Patient Population

  • Males and females ages 18-50
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnosis of PTSD
  • Traumatic event is a combat-based experience (e.g., being injured, watching a buddy be killed)
  • Minimum score of 18 on the Combat Experience Scale (CES)
  • Minimum score of 3 or more on Primary Care (PC)-PTSD-5
  • Participants with other cooccurring psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety, ADHD) will be included to ensure a representative sample.

Healthy Population

  • Males and Females, ages 18-50

Exclusion Criteria

Patient Population

  • Treatment for PTSD, substance abuse, or mental health concerns in the past 6 months
  • 10 or more years since the combat trauma
  • Acute intoxication
  • Severe level of Substance Dependence (6 or more DSM-V symptoms)
  • Prior diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorders
  • Current or past psychotic disorders or active psychotic symptoms
  • Current Bipolar I Disorder
  • Dementia
  • Neurological or serious medical conditions (e.g., stroke, epilepsy/ seizure disorder, cancer, Lupus, HIV+);
  • Traumatic brain injury

Healthy Population

  • Ferromagnetic implants (e.g., pacemaker), metal braces, retainers, tattoos or permanent make up w/ metallic content, transdermal medicinal patches that cannot be removed
  • Neurological or serious medical conditions (e.g., stroke, epilepsy/ seizure disorder, cancer, Lupus, HIV+);
  • Lifetime Diagnosis of PTSD, Tourette's Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, Substance Dependence, Eating Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, a psychotic disorder, Acute Stress Disorder
  • Lifetime history of traumatic event defined as a life-threatening event involving physical attack, guns, fire or explosion (i.e the kinds of traumatic events combat veterans are likely to experience)
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Birth at less than 37 weeks gestational age
  • Claustrophobia
  • Anxiety Disorder, Mood Disorder, Substance Abuse Disorder, Adjustment Disorder in past 2 years
  • Treatment for mental health concern in past 2 years
  • Pregnant Females

Recruiting US locations

  • Brain Imaging Lab

    Los Angeles, CA 90027

    Site contact: Courtney Marcelino · 323-361-6456 · cmarcelino@chla.usc.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Courtney Marcelino · 323-361-6456 · cmarcelino@chla.usc.edu
  • Bradley S Peterson, MD · 323-361-3654 · bpeterson@chla.usc.edu
All mental health studies in California →
The Effects of Very Brief Exposure on PTSD in U.S. Combat Veterans (NCT06218381) | Bored Studies