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Fear and Avoidance in PTSD Patients
Neural Correlates of Active Avoidance Learning and Their Interactions With Fear Extinction Mechanisms in PTSD Patients
Who can join
Ages 18 to 70 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
1. 18 - 70 years of age
2. Female or Male
3. Inclusion Criteria: PTSD Subjects
a. Diagnosis of current PTSD
4. Inclusion Criteria: Trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHC)
1. SCID diagnosis consistent with no current psychiatric disorders, and no current PTSD
2. History of trauma exposure
5. Inclusion Criteria: Healthy controls (HC)
1. SCID diagnosis consistent with no current psychiatric disorders ("Axis I" disorders).
2. No history of trauma exposure
6. Willing and able to provide informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria for ALL subjects:
1. History of neurologic disease (e.g. tic disorder)
2. 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
3. History of seizure or significant head trauma
4. History of the serious/significant psychiatric diagnosis ("Axis I" disorders)
5. Use of neuroleptics within one year prior to study
6. 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)
7. Pregnancy (to be ruled out by urine ß-HCG)
8. Metallic implants or devices contraindicating magnetic resonance imaging
9. 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:
10. Current psychiatric diagnosis ("Axis I" diagnoses)About the study
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.
What is being tested
- Fear Conditioning (behavioral)
- Avoidance conditioning (other)
- Pavlovian fear extinction learning (other)
- Willingness to pay to avoid shock (other)
Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston · Participants: 300 · Started: Sep 9, 2021
Contact the study team
- Mohammed Milad, PhD · Phone: 713-486-2754
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT04770584
Locations in the U.S.
| Texas | UTHealth Houston, Houston |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 29, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.