Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a condition that can have range of diverse effects on people. It’s often the result of untreated trauma caused by traumatizing events, and leads to intense episodes of physical or mental distress in people. These episodes, however, can be triggered by a range of external stimuli that remind a person of the traumatic event, whether it’s a smell or a certain sound. For example, fireworks are a common example of a stimuli that can trigger PTSD episodes in people who have seen active combat.
Treatment options for people with PTSD include a range of therapeutic approaches, including traditional psychological therapy as well as medication to help people process the trauma undergirding their PTSD and manage symptoms. One of the more common therapy options includes prolonged exposure therapy, which is an evidenced-based approach to helping people confront and address the stimuli that trigger their PTSD or remind them of their trauma. While many people often avoid these triggers, doing so does not help people overcome their fear of them.
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have recently partnered with Zeriscope to create a device called Bio Ware, which can help improve the effectiveness of prolonged exposure therapy. The team’s work is published in a recent article in The Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Specifically, researchers worked with veterans at the Ralph H., Johnson VA Medical center, because veterans make up a significant portion of people who experience PTSD. Specifically, researchers studied how the device could help understand how people respond to being exposed to “in vivo” situations, or the situations known to trigger PTSD. With prolonged exposure therapy, people are often asked to put themselves in situations that could trigger PTSD and report on the experience. The device could provide more detailed information about how people respond to these situations.
In addition to providing real-time vital information (such as heart rate), the device includes a discrete camera and earpiece that allows therapists to be virtually with their patients in these uncomfortable situations. This could allow for better insight into patient respond and allow therapists to respond accordingly to patient needs.
Sources: Eurekalert!; APA; Journal of Psychiatric Research