Can a video game rewire the brain to ease PTSD?
NCT ID NCT05313334
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested a digital training task called GAMBIT in 50 adults with PTSD. The goal was to see if playing this brain-training game could improve brain circuit flexibility and reduce PTSD symptoms. The study was terminated early, so the findings are limited.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- GAMBIT Task (a digital inhibitory control training game)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new, non-drug approach to help people with PTSD by training their brain's control circuits.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small, early pilot study that was terminated before completion, so results are limited and may not be reliable. The intervention is a simple computer task, not a proven treatment.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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50 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2022
- Finished
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Oct 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 55 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female aged 18-55 years * Participants must be able to provide informed consent * Participants must have a level of understanding of the English language sufficient to agree to all tests and examinations required by the study and must be able to participate fully in the informed consent process * Must meet criteria for one of the following study groups: * PTSD Group: i. Meets diagnostic criteria for current PTSD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) 1. Has been exposed to a Criterion A trauma of the civilian type (e.g., non-combat, threatened or actual interpersonal violence) or non-civilian 2. Must have a total score ≥ 25 on the CAPS-5 (past-month version) at the time of screening, indicating moderate PTSD symptom severity. * Healthy Control Group: i. Has no lifetime history of any psychiatric disorder Exclusion Criteria: * Current or lifetime history of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating or feeding disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder, or neurocognitive disorder; * Any neuropsychiatric disorder that is judged to be the primary presenting problem, other than that which is specified as study group eligibility criteria; * Substance use disorder within the past 1 year; * Urine toxicology positive for illicit drugs or dis-allowed concomitant medications as per study protocol; intermittent cannabis use that does not meet criteria for a substance use disorder may be permitted under the protocol. * Suicidal ideation or risk of self-harm that is judged by the PI to be clinically significant and to warrant intervention * Concurrent treatment with opioid medication, or with long-acting or daytime short-acting benzodiazepines within two weeks of study start * Current cognitive impairment, as defined by a score \<23 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) * Estimated IQ \<80 * Currently receiving evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD (e.g., prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, 10029, United States
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