Brain stimulation to help PTSD after chronic traumatic brain injury
Neuromodulation as a Therapy for PTSD following Chronic TBI
This project tries using targeted brain stimulation to reduce PTSD symptoms and improve thinking in people with long-term traumatic brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Philadelphia VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306010 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my point of view, researchers are studying how long-term brain injury changes the limbic system (including the hippocampus and amygdala) that controls fear and memory. They use lab models and physiological recordings to see how these changes make fear responses stronger and harder to extinguish, and they test electrical or other neuromodulation methods to try to restore normal brain activity. The team combines animal experiments with translational work aimed at applying those findings to Veterans with chronic TBI and PTSD. Any human procedures would likely be delivered at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center where the research is based.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people, often Veterans, who have chronic traumatic brain injury plus ongoing PTSD symptoms and cognitive difficulties and who can travel to the study site.
Not a fit: People without PTSD or without a history of TBI, those with very recent/acute TBI, or those with medical reasons that make brain stimulation unsafe may not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a new treatment to lower PTSD symptoms and improve memory and thinking after chronic TBI.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior animal and human studies suggest neuromodulation can aid fear extinction and reduce PTSD-like symptoms, but applying these approaches specifically to PTSD after chronic TBI is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Philadelphia VA Medical Center — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wolf, John Allen — Philadelphia VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wolf, John Allen
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.