Are you living with PTSD or the impacts of trauma? The National PTSD Research Centre at UniSC's Thompson Institute is recruiting participants for a study of a new treatment for PTSD.
Led by Professor Alain Brunet, this study focuses on Reconsolidation Therapy—a treatment designed to help the brain update traumatic memories by reducing their emotional impact.
What is reconsolidation therapy?
Reconsolidation therapy is an emerging therapy that has been shown to reduce the intensity of emotional memories in trauma survivors. Over six sessions it gradually and sustainably lessens the emotional impact of traumatic memories.
The therapy works by disrupting the reprocessing of traumatic memories. Patients are supported to recall the memory, then the treatment helps to reduce the emotional impact associated with that memory as it is updated in the brain.
Although current research demonstrates the treatment’s effectiveness in 70 percent of cases, we aim to better understand the neurobiology underpinning the treatment.
Understanding changes in brain structure and function may help us advance the treatment’s accessibility to trauma and PTSD patients.
Please note, there is not yet enough evidence to suggest reconsolidation therapy effectively treats complex PTSD.
What's involved
- Participants: Adults aged 18+ with diagnosed or suspected PTSD
- Duration: commitment to 10 on-site visits over a period of 13 weeks, which includes the six-week treatment program
- Data collection: Initial comprehensive interview with our psychologist and medical assessment, and the completion of a series of surveys, an MRI and blood tests before and after treatment
- The treatment: safe and non-invasive, it includes a medication to help your brain process and update trauma-related memories. The medication is complemented by in-person psychotherapy with a trained clinician in which participants will reactivate a specific trauma memory. The treatment is in-person, once per week, at the National PTSD Research Centre at UniSC’s Thompson Institute.
Why this study is important?
We are exploring how this novel therapy can reduce PTSD symptoms and improve the lives of those affected by trauma. Participants will be helping advance research that could change the future of PTSD treatment.
Benefits of participating
Reconsolidation therapy is shown to reduce trauma symptoms in 70 percent of cases with virtually no relapse.
Participating in this research may help us advance the treatment’s significant potential to improve the lives of PTSD patients.
Your research team
Principal investigators
Professor Alain Brunet has investigated the impact of trauma exposure on individuals for more than 20 years. He developed Reconsolidation Therapy, which has been used to treat survivors of terrorism in the Bataclan (Paris, France). Alain is a past vice-president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and past co-editor of the Journal of Traumatic Stress, the premier specialty journal in the field of traumatic stress.
Dr Chris Moller is a practical medical doctor with 14 years’ experience in clinical practice and 5 years’ experience as a full-time military medical officer. He has been a principal investigator on 9 clinical studies, and a sub-investigator on 11 others.
Alain and Chris are supported by co-investigators:
• Trish Wilson, Clinical Programs Manager and registered nurse
• Dr Bonnie Quigley, Molecular Biology Research Fellow
• Dr Jacob Levenstein, Neuroimaging Research Fellow
• Fiona Randall, Quality and Risk Coordinator and registered nurse
• Dr Tory Dax, Clinical Psychologist and Research Therapist
• Erin Oldman, Research Assistant
• Dr Rachel Brand