A Comparison of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Versus Present Centered Therapy (PCT) for Veterans - Full Text View

Sponsored by:	Department of Veterans Affairs
Information provided by:	Department of Veterans Affairs
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00607815

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) versus Present Centered Therapy (PCT) for male OEF/OIF veterans with combat related PTSD.

Condition	Intervention
PTSD	Behavioral: Cognitive Processing Therapy Behavioral: Present Centered Therapy

U.S. FDA Resources

Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Treatment, Randomized, Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor), Active Control, Parallel Assignment, Efficacy Study
Official Title:	A Comparison of CPT vs PCT for Veterans

Further study details as provided by Department of Veterans Affairs:

Primary Outcome Measures:

PTSD [ Time Frame: Reduction in symptoms at the end of treatment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Depression [ Time Frame: Reduction in symtoms at the end of treatment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Estimated Enrollment:	80
Study Start Date:	February 2009
Estimated Study Completion Date:	December 2011
Estimated Primary Completion Date:	September 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms	Assigned Interventions
1: Active Comparator Cognitive Processing Therapy	Behavioral: Cognitive Processing Therapy CPT is a highly structured protocol in which the client learns the skill of recognizing and challenging dysfunctional cognitions, first about the worst traumatic event and then later with regard to the meaning of the events for current beliefs about self and others.
2: Active Comparator Present Centered Therapy	Behavioral: Present Centered Therapy Present centered therapy is a supportive counseling model developed by Drs. Foa and Shea.The treatment is called "present centered therapy" to 1) emphasize the need to focus on the participant's current life and 2) to conceptualize the problems as being caused by PTSD, and in some cases they may have been present for a long period of time. The treatment makes a connection between PTSD and current problems thus making it a more realistic PTSD treatment and still allowing PCT to control for nonspecific therapeutic factors

Arms

Assigned Interventions

1: Active Comparator

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Behavioral: Cognitive Processing Therapy

CPT is a highly structured protocol in which the client learns the skill of recognizing and challenging dysfunctional cognitions, first about the worst traumatic event and then later with regard to the meaning of the events for current beliefs about self and others.

2: Active Comparator

Present Centered Therapy

Behavioral: Present Centered Therapy

Present centered therapy is a supportive counseling model developed by Drs. Foa and Shea.The treatment is called "present centered therapy" to 1) emphasize the need to focus on the participant's current life and 2) to conceptualize the problems as being caused by PTSD, and in some cases they may have been present for a long period of time. The treatment makes a connection between PTSD and current problems thus making it a more realistic PTSD treatment and still allowing PCT to control for nonspecific therapeutic factors

Detailed Description:

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) versus Present Centered Therapy (PCT) for male OEF/OIF veterans with combat related PTSD.

CPT has been shown to be effective in treating trauma survivors in several treatment outcome studies, but utility with veterans has only been examined with male veterans in one small pilot study. In addition CPT has never been compared to a treatment as usual or supportive psychotherapy condition to control for the specific and nonspecific elements of treatment. Although Cognitive Processing Therapy is one of the main treatment modalities at several VA's, including Cincinnati, it has never been compared to PCT, nor has it been used in a large, randomized study of male OEF/OIF veterans. It is hypothesized that individual receiving CPT will show a larger reduction in posttraumatic stress disorder and related symptoms than those individuals receiving PCT.

All male OEF/OIF veterans will be screened for their appropriateness for the study by phone screen and then by an assessment technician. The veteran will be assessed at pre, post, 3-month, and 1-year follow-up. The veteran will be paid $50 for each assessment. The assessment technicians will be blind to the participant's condition. CPT is a 12 week long individual psychotherapy treatment shown to be effective at reducing PTSD and related symptoms for survivors of various types of traumas, including combat. PCT is a supportive counseling treatment that has been utilized as an alternative to waitlist control in VA cooperative studies of PTSD.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:	18 Years to 75 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:	Male
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

PTSD;
memory of the trama;
able to read/write;
must be stable on medication for 3 months

Exclusion Criteria:

Psychosis;
suicidal/homicidal intent;
alcohol/substance dependence;
no memory of the trauma

Contacts and Locations

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00607815

Contacts

Contact: Ryan Faulkner, PsyD

(859) 572-6238

Ryan.Faulkner@va.com

Locations

United States, Ohio
VA Medical Center, Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45220

Sponsors and Collaborators

Department of Veterans Affairs

Investigators

Principal Investigator:

Kathleen Chard, PhD

Cincinnati VA Medical Center

More Information

Responsible Party:	Department of Veterans Affairs ( Chard, Kathleen - Principal Investigator )
Study ID Numbers:	MHBA-007-07F
Study First Received:	February 4, 2008
Last Updated:	January 6, 2009
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00607815
Health Authority:	United States: Federal Government

Keywords provided by Department of Veterans Affairs:

PTSD
OEF/OIF
Combat
Treatment

CPT
PCT
Cognitive

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on January 16, 2009