PTSD/TBI Research | NW Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center

Current Research at NW MIRECC

The Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (NW MIRECC) conducts research that seeks new ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent the following conditions in Veterans:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), which is also called a concussion
• Headaches or other conditions that might start after an mTBI or concussion
• Dementia and neurodegeneration, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
• Drug abuse and dependence
• Stresses related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Research studies at the NW MIRECC are currently enrolling Veterans, civilians, health care workers, and first responders. These studies may feature the following kinds of activities:

• Questionnaires, interviews, or assessments of physical and mental health
• Talk therapies, which may include psychotherapy or cognitive rehabilitation interventions 
• Wearing wristwatches or other devices that track physical activity or sleep patterns
• Prescriptions for prazosin, a medication that may be useful for a number of conditions
• Blood draws
• Tests that measure eye responses to light
• Lumbar punctures, which are used to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and which have been safely performed in the NW MIRECC for more than two decades
• Scans of the brain, including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, fcMRI, or fMRI), and positron emission tomography (PET or FDG-PET)

If you wish to learn about participating in research, see the NW MIRECC description of what to know before volunteering. If you wish to learn about specific NW MIRECC research studies, see the table below.

Topic	Study name	What is the study about?	Who can volunteer?	Click on flyers
PTSD	PREDICT Noradrenergic Biomarkers in PTSD: Precision Medicine and Mechanisms	The PREDICT study seeks to learn whether simple tests can predict who will benefit from the medication prazosin as a treatment for PTSD. For technical details about PREDICT: https://reporter.nih.gov/ project-details/9707586	VETERANS with PTSD Veterans age 21 to 75 with PTSD For more information, please call 206-268-5259 or 1-800-329-8387 ext 65259.	click here
PTSD and cannabis	ReCOUP Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility of Prazosin for Cannabis Use Disorder in Individuals with or without PTSD	The ReCOUP study seeks to learn whether the medication prazosin can help people reduce or stop their use of cannabis. For technical details about ReCOUP: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ ct2/show/NCT04721353	VETERANS with CANNABIS USE Veterans age 21 to 65 who wish to reduce their use of cannabis For more information, call 206-265-1311	click here
PTSD and TBI	CABA Cognitively Augmented Behavioral Activation (CABA) Study	The CABA study seeks to learn whether a new therapy intervention can help reduce symptoms in Veterans with both mTBI and PTSD. For technical details about CABA: https://reporter.nih.gov/ project-details/9889810	VETERANS with PTSD | mTBI Veterans age 55 and over with both PTSD and mTBI For more information, please call 206.264.2756 or 1.800.329.8387 ext. 62756	click here
PTSD and TBI	PoND 1 Prazosin and CSF Biomarkers in mTBI	Trauma may lead to a buildup of harmful proteins in CSF. The PoND 1 study seeks to learn whether the medication prazosin can decrease this buildup of proteins. For technical details about PoND 1: https://reporter.nih.gov/ project-details/9312137	VETERANS with PTSD | mTBI Veterans age 21 and over with combat-related PTSD or mTBI For more information, please call 206.277.5061 or 1.800.329.8387 ext. 65061	click here
TBI	TBI mTBI and Biomarkers of Neurodegeneration	The TBI study seeks to learn whether the blast trauma that causes mTBI also causes long-term changes in the brain. This research may contribute to future treatments or preventions for such brain changes. For technical details about TBI: https://reporter.nih.gov/ project-details/9966780	VETERANS with mTBI | NO mTBI Veterans age 18 and older who were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, including Veterans with and without mTBI For more information, please call 206.277.5566, 206-277-1272, or 1.800.329.8387 ext. 65566	click here
TBI and headaches	PTH Chronic Post-concussive Headache: A Placebo-Controlled Treatment Trial of Prazosin	The PTH study seeks to learn whether the medication prazosin might be an effective treatment for posttraumatic headaches. For technical details about PTH: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ ct2/show/NCT02266329	VETERANS with mTBI Veterans age 18 and older with bothersome headaches that started or worsened after an mTBI For more information, please call 206.277.3491 or 1.800.329.8387 ext. 63491	click here
Dementia	PoND 2 Prazosin and CSF Biomarkers in Cognitively Normal Persons, MCI, and Early AD	A buildup of harmful proteins in CSF may be linked with the development of dementia. The PoND 2 study seeks to learn whether the medication prazosin can decrease this buildup of proteins. PoND 2 is a VA Puget Sound R&D Seed grant with no publicly available technical details.	CIVILIANS | VETERANS with NO PTSD Civilians and Veterans age 45 and over who do not have combat-related PTSD For more information, please call 206.277.1491 or 1.800.329.8387 ext. 61491	click here
Pandemic Stress	ATTEND ATTEND for Health Care Workers and First Responders	The ATTEND study seeks to learn about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers and first responders who are on the front lines. For technical details about ATTEND: https://www.medrxiv.org/ content/10.1101/2020. 12.16.20248325v1	CIVILIANS | VETERANS who are HEALTH CARE WORKERS | FIRST RESPONDERS  Health care workers and first responders nationwide who are experiencing increased stress in their workplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic Health care workers and first responders who are eligible for care at VA Puget Sound may qualify for an optional drug trial For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/ATTENDSTUDY	click here