Can a Brain-Training program ease PTSD symptoms?
NCT ID NCT06354361
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a modified version of Goal Management Training, called Trauma-Informed Goal Management Training (TI-GMT), in 33 adults with PTSD. The program teaches mindfulness and goal-setting skills over nine weekly online sessions. Researchers measured changes in PTSD symptoms and thinking abilities right after treatment and again three months later.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Trauma-Informed Goal Management Training (TI-GMT) - a behavioral program combining mindfulness and goal-planning exercises adapted for people with PTSD
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug way to help people with PTSD think more clearly and feel better day-to-day.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 33 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The training requires a 9-week commitment and may not work for all.
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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33 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Finished
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Nov 2025
- 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 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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 * Be fluent in English; * Must reside in Ontario; * Be able to provide written informed consent; * Be between the ages of 18 and 65 (in order to help us generalize results); * Meet provisional diagnosis of PTSD using a cut-off of \>30 on the PCL-5, administered at the time of screening, to be corroborated with the results of the CAPS-5; * Be able to attend regular online, 2-hour sessions once/week for 9 weeks, and be willing to complete the pre-, post-treatment, and follow-up assessments; * Have access to a computer with a working microphone and camera, and have reliable and consistent internet; Exclusion * Use benzodiazepines daily or almost daily; * Use narcotics daily or almost daily; * Endorse alcohol/substance use symptoms on the eligibility screener that may interfere with their ability to participate in the study, to be corroborated with the results of the M.I.N.I. (to be determined by Dr. McKinnon's clinical team); * Have a history of Moderate to Severe Brain Injury or loss of consciousness with prolonged effects that interfere with daily functioning at school, work or family unit; * Have a history of neurological disorder that may interfere with their ability to participate in the study (to be determined by Dr. McKinnon's clinical team); * Have a diagnosis of psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder; * Have a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorder that may interfere with their ability to participate in the study (to be determined by Dr. McKinnon's clinical team); * Have other conditions/impairments/considerations that could interfere with completion of study tasks (to be determined by Dr. McKinnon's clinical team) * Have previously participated in GMT * Be receiving treatment with anti-cholinergics, anti-psychotic medication, or psychostimulants * Had ECT within the past year * Are currently engaged in a trauma-specific intervention (EMDR, CPT, and PE) that may impact the findings of the current study (to be determined by Dr. McKinnon's clinical team) * Is an active serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces
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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
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McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, L9C 1G2, Canada
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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