Deciding whether PTSD therapy or tinnitus therapy should come first for people with both conditions.

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Adults with PTSD and chronic, bothersome tinnitus—often following a head injury—are enrolled and assigned to receive Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Tinnitus (CBT-t) in one of two sequences: CPT first then CBT-t, or CBT-t first then CPT. Before and after treatment participants complete hearing exams and questionnaires about trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, mood, substance use, head injury history, and tinnitus impact. Eligible and willing participants may also have functional MRI scans before and after treatment to measure changes in brain function. The study compares symptom and imaging changes to determine whether the order of therapies affects outcomes.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Adult male and female active duty military personnel and veterans seeking treatment for PTSD
* Diagnosis of PTSD
* Person has experienced at least one mild traumatic brain injury (concussion)
* Ability to speak and read English
* Stable on any psychotropic medications
* Meets criteria for chronic subjective and bothersome tinnitus
* Chronic tinnitus is at least possibly related to head injury

Exclusion Criteria:

* Currently receiving other talk therapies
* Severe hearing loss that would prevent the participant from benefiting from therapy
* Current severe suicidal ideation
* Psychiatric hospitalization in the last 12 months
* Moderate to severe substance use that would prevent the participant form benefiting from therapy
* Current manic episode or psychotic symptoms requiring immediate stabilization or hospitalization
* Significant cognitive impairment
* Moderate to severe brain damage
* Neurobiological disorders
* Temporomandibular joint disorders and/or Meniere's disease that cause acute pain

Where it's running

• The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
  San Antonio, Texas, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: John Moring, PhD — The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• Study coordinator: Amanda Flores, BA
• Email: floresa13@uthscsa.edu
• Phone: 210-562-6726

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.