title: Acute delivery of attention bias modification training (ABMT) moderates the association between combat exposure and posttraumatic symptoms: A feasibility study.
abstract: Combat deployment enhances risk for posttraumatic stress symptoms. We assessed whether attention bias modification training (ABMT), delivered immediately prior to combat, attenuates the association between combat exposure and stress-related symptoms. 99 male soldiers preparing for combat were randomized to receive either an ABMT condition designed to enhance vigilance toward threat or an attention control training (ACT) designed to balance attention deployment between neutral and threat words. Frequency of combat events, and symptoms of PTSD and depression were measured prior to deployment and at a two-month follow-up. Regression analysis revealed that combat exposure uniquely accounted for 4.6% of the variance in stress-related symptoms change from baseline to follow-up and that the interaction between ABMT and combat exposure accounted for additional 5.4% of the variance. Follow-up analyses demonstrate that ABMT moderated the association between combat exposure and symptoms. ABMT appear to have potential as a preventative intervention to reduce risk for stress-related symptoms associated with combat exposure.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Electronic address: ilanwald@013net.net.
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wald
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Shani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bitton
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Israel.
authors.forename: Ofir
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Israel.
authors.forename: Sergei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zusmanovich
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Israel.
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fruchter
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Israel.
authors.forename: Keren
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ginat
authors.affiliation: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1428 Madison Ave, 10029 New York, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Charney
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Mental Health, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, 20852 MD, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pine
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yair
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bar-Haim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal; D000070379:Attentional Bias; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D012660:Semantics; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Army; Attention bias modification training (ABMT); Combat; PTSD; Prevention; Stress