A Neurosensory Account of Anxiety and Stress (Study 2)
Trial Parameters
Brief Summary
This study will take a basic neuroscience approach to investigate pathological mechanisms underlying PTSD. Additionally, the study aims to identify how Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) brain stimulation can modulate and correct neural networks and related emotions of anxious arousal and hypervigilance, with the goal of assessing tACS brain stimulation technology as a novel intervention for symptoms of anxiety.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Right-handed * With normal or corrected-to-normal vision and normal olfaction * Between the ages of 18 and 50 years * Meeting the tACS screening criteria (see List I below; e.g., lack of a serious head injury or loss of consciousness) * Patients: Diagnosis of PTSD * Patients: If taking psychotropic medications, medication stability in the past 2 months * If having mild substance use disorder (for patients) or occasional substance use, abstention from use 48 hours before the experiment. Exclusion Criteria: * A history of diagnosis for a major medical illness (e.g., cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disorders) or a neurological disorder (e.g., seizure, stroke, Parkinson's disease). * Patients: Concurrent Axis I diagnosis (depression, anxiety, and mild substance use disorder are allowed given their high comorbidity with PTSD). * Healthy controls: A history of diagnosis for a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5