Issue:

Prevalence estimates of psychological conditions among workers range from 10 percent to 40 percent in a year. The use of objective neuroimaging-based biomarkers would benefit clinicians, patients and caregivers by significantly advancing the ability to demonstrate that there is a connection between brain-related changes and improvement in clinical symptoms.

Objectives:

This study proposes to develop brain imaging-based biomarkers for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and explore its usability for diagnosing, monitoring and evaluating the state of the disease and responses to treatment. The overarching goal of the study is to implement the proposed imaging-based biomarker as part of the standard of care for PTSD at the Health Sciences Centre (HSC).

Specific objectives of the proposed study are: (i) develop an imaging-based biomarker for PTSD; and (ii) validate the effect of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) on the identified imaging-based biomarker.

Anticipated Results:

The proposed methods for the analysis of neuro-images (GTA and SSM) are state-of-the-art and represent a significant innovation regarding the identification of PTSD in patients, the severity of their symptoms and the monitoring of their treatments. The researchers plan to promote the use of the imaging-based biomarker as a clinical tool to inform diagnosis, response to treatment, and assessment of functional outcomes such as return to work.

Investigators:

Ronak Patel and Ji Hyun Ko, University of Manitoba