Networks for Developing PTSD Risk Assessment Tools
NAMHC Concept Clearance — January 11, 2008
Presenter
Farris Tuma, Sc.D., MHS
Traumatic Stress Disorders Research Program
Division of Adult Translational Research and Treatment Development
Goal
This initiative will support the development and initial testing of new approaches to differentiate trauma survivors who will recover naturally from those who will develop enduring symptoms and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Rationale
Over a lifetime, exposure to traumatic events occurs at high levels. PTSD is among the most common conditions associated with trauma exposure yet the majority of exposed and symptomatic persons naturally recover functioning. For the significant minority who do not recover, PTSD and related co-morbidity can be quite debilitating. While research into the pathophysiology of the disorder has opened avenues for pre-emptive intervention, we are currently unable to differentiate trauma survivors who will recover naturally from those who will develop enduring symptoms.
The proposed initiative will establish interdisciplinary teams for exploratory studies combining, weighting, and sequencing measures of PTSD risk derived from existing data (past trials and epidemiological studies) and/or in the context ongoing PTSD studies. The expected outcomes of the Network(s) would be preliminary data on risk assessment tools that are sensitive to and balance statistical and clinical significance for future prediction and pre-emption studies and research to develop clinical decision tools.
Teams are envisioned to include neuroscientists, geneticists, clinical researchers, psychometricians, and clinimetricians, and to span several levels of analysis (e.g., molecular to behavioral).
