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RecruitingPosttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Intrinsic and Novelty-related Sensory Cortical (SC) Disinhibition

A Neurosensory Account of Anxiety and Stress (Study 1)

Eligible age

18–50 yrs

Accepts

All genders

Locations

1 state

Healthy volunteers

Yes

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About this study

This study will take a basic neuroscience approach to investigate pathological mechanisms underlying PTSD. Additionally, the study aims to identify how Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) brain stimulation can modulate and correct neural networks and related emotions of anxious arousal and hypervigilance, with the goal of assessing tACS brain stimulation technology as a novel intervention for symptoms of anxiety.

Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

You may qualify if…

  • ✓ Right-handed
  • ✓ With normal or corrected-to-normal vision and normal olfaction
  • ✓ Between the ages of 18 and 50 years
  • ✓ Meeting the tACS screening criteria (see List I below; e.g., lack of a serious head injury or loss of consciousness)
  • ✓ Patients: Diagnosis of PTSD
  • ✓ Patients: If taking psychotropic medications, medication stability in the past 2 months
  • ✓ If having mild substance use disorder (for patients) or occasional substance use, abstention from use 48 hours before the experiment.

You may not qualify if…

  • ✕ A history of diagnosis for a major medical illness (e.g., cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disorders) or a neurological disorder (e.g., seizure, stroke, Parkinson's disease).
  • ✕ Patients: Concurrent Axis I diagnosis (depression, anxiety, and mild substance use disorder are allowed given their high comorbidity with PTSD).
  • ✕ Healthy controls: A history of diagnosis for a DSM-5 Axis I disorder or current use of psychoactive medications.
  • ✕ Severe psychiatric instability or severe situational life crises, including evidence of being actively suicidal or homicidal, or any behavior that poses an immediate danger to self or others.
  • ✕ History of head trauma with unconsciousness (\> 5 minutes)
  • ✕ Report that they regularly drink 3 or more alcoholic beverages a day.
  • ✕ Report that they are unable to abstain from substance use (including alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, amphetamines, narcotics, solvents, cocaine, hallucinogens, tranquilizers, barbiturates, etc.) or sleep medication for 48 hours before being scanned.
  • ✕ Are on calcium channel blockers (e.g., verapamil, nifedipine) or alpha-blockers (e.g., prazosin, terazosin) and are unable to stop these medications for a 48-hour period prior to scanning (to exclude the impact of these medications on the interpretation of fMRI/EEG).

Where it's recruiting

Texas

Houston

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05895006 · last updated 2025-09-12