Grant: Project Grant

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health condition that affects over 1 million Canadians, including a significant number of military personnel and veterans. Many people with PTSD struggle to find effective treatment, as current therapies often do not work for everyone and have high dropout rates. This research aims to explore a new, science-based approach to PTSD treatment called real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rt-fMRI-NFB). This technique allows individuals to see and control their own brain activity in real-time, helping them learn to regulate brain regions linked to PTSD symptoms. In this study, we will compare two key brain areas that may be important for PTSD recovery: the amygdala, which is involved in fear and emotional reactions, and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), which plays a role in self-reflection and memory processing. Participants, all military personnel or veterans with PTSD, will take part in three neurofeedback sessions over three weeks. They will be randomly assigned to receive training focused on the amygdala, the PCC, or a sham-control "placebo" brain signal, which will help us determine whether the observed clinical effects are truly due to neurofeedback. We will measure PTSD symptoms before, during, and after the sessions, with follow-ups at three and six months to see how lasting the effects are. This study will provide critical insights into how neurofeedback influences PTSD symptoms and brain activity. By identifying which brain region is the best target for treatment and how many sessions are needed for meaningful improvement, our findings will help guide future clinical applications. Ultimately, this research could lead to new, personalized treatments for PTSD, improving mental health care for military personnel, veterans, and other communities affected by trauma.