EEG Biofeedback in the Treatment of Chronic Treatment-Resistant PTSD

Deficits in affect regulation are associated with a high rate of treatment failure to
well-established evidence-based treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and
deficits in this domain are most frequently found in individuals with chronic
treatment-resistant PTSD. Aside from one psychological treatment intervention for adult
female survivors of child sexual abuse, no published study has targeted improving affect
regulation in treatment refractory PTSD. The aim of this study is to test and refine EEG
neurofeedback (NF) as an effective treatment for PTSD associated with high levels of affect
dysregulation. We believe improved affect regulation will lead to an overall improvement in
functioning by addressing deficits in executive functioning in PTSD.

Primary Aim: The primary goal of the research is to refine and evaluate NF training for
adults with treatment-resistant PTSD, specifically targeting the domain of affect
regulation. We will evaluate the following questions:

1. Will NF decrease chronic PTSD symptoms in a treatment-resistant sample of adults with
childhood onset PTSD, as measured with the CAPS and the DTS? Hypothesis 1: Subjects in
the active treatment condition will show significantly greater decreases on the CAPS
and DTS than subjects in the placebo condition.

2. Will NF improve affect regulation, as measured by the IASC? Hypothesis 2: Subjects in
the active treatment condition will show significantly greater improvement on the
affect dysregulation subscale of the IASC than individuals in the placebo condition.

3. Will affect regulation, as measured by the IASC, mediate the relationship of NF
training and PTSD, as measured with the DTS? Hypothesis 3: The affect dysregulation
subscale of the IASC will significantly mediate the relationship between NF and DTS
scores while DTS scores will not significantly mediate affect dysregulation.