Efficacy of Yoga for Treatment-Resistant Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Status unconfirmed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

In brief

The central question in this research proposal is: can a popular technique that specifically targets active mastery and improved affect regulation, yoga, which is utilized by approximately 4% of the US population each year (1), improve the constellation of PTSD symptoms, multiple somatic complaints, social and occupational impairment and high health care utilization that has been documented in hundreds of thousands of women in the US? The Primary Aims of this study include the following: 1. To test the short-term and long-term effectiveness of 10 weeks of yoga for treating treatment-resistant PTSD and compare it with attention controls receiving Women's Health Education (WHE). 2. To assess the short-term and long-term effects of yoga on a) co-morbid conditions, b) quality of life, c) body awareness, d) health care utilization and e) heart rate variability (HRV), in comparison to an attention control group.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00839813

Run by

Justice Resource Institute

People needed

64

Starts

2008-11-01

Expected to finish

2011-05-01

Last updated by the study team

2011-04-06

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 58. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Women between 18 and 58 years old, any race
• Chronic, treatment-unresponsive PTSD
• An index trauma that occurred 12 or more years before initial interview
• At least 3 years of prior treatment focused on dealing with the consequences of the index trauma
• Comorbid diagnoses of depression or panic disorder, which are common in subjects with PTSD, will be permitted

You may not qualify if…

• Medical: Serious illness (including cardiac, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrinologic, neurologic, or hematologic disease) that is not stabilized based on the judgment of the PI.
• Psychological: GAF < 40.
• Bipolar disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD], schizophrenia, and any psychotic disorder will be excluded if they occurred any time prior to the primary traumatic episode
• Current psychotic disorder, or established organic impairment (e.g., TBI)
• Severe dissociation, as measured by a DES score >25.
• Women with active suicidal risk, active self-mutilation or aggressive behavior toward others within the past year, as judged by the PI
• Substance dependence or abuse in the past 6 months, as defined by DSM IV criteria and judged by the PI.
• Any other condition that might interfere with the person's capacity to give informed consent, or to adhere to the study protocol.
• Legal and Financial: Current legal proceedings resulting from the traumatic events. People whose continued receipt of financial benefits is contingent upon maintaining PTSD symptoms or who are waiting for a decision concerning the receipt of financial benefits based upon PTSD symptoms
• Prior Yoga Experience: Subjects who have attended more than five prior yoga sessions.

Where it is running

• The Trauma Center at JRI — Brookline, Massachusetts, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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