Flash therapy: could subliminal combat images ease PTSD?

NCT ID NCT06218381

Recruiting now Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Children's Hospital Los Angeles Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 30, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study explores whether showing combat veterans with PTSD very brief, barely visible images of combat scenes can change their brain activity and reduce fear. Participants will view these images during an fMRI brain scan and rate their fear. The goal is to understand how the brain responds to this type of exposure, not yet to treat PTSD. The study compares veterans with PTSD to healthy controls.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Very Brief Exposure to combat images (a behavioral procedure using subliminal picture flashes)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could point toward a new, non-drug treatment for PTSD that is easier to tolerate than traditional exposure therapy.
What could go wrong: This is an early, small study (80 people) focused on brain activity and fear ratings, not on curing PTSD. It may not lead to a practical treatment, and results may not apply to all veterans.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Brain Imaging Lab
RECRUITING

Los Angeles, California, 90027, United States

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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.