Response to Training in Emotion Recognition Function for Mild TBI/PTSD Survivors: Pilot Study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Comorbid mild traumatic brain injury/post-traumatic stress disorder (mTBI/PTSD) often leads to impaired emotion recognition.
• These deficits can negatively impact social interactions, leading to isolation and suicidal ideation.
• There is a critical need for effective treatments for mTBI/PTSD-related emotion recognition deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and pilot an innovative treatment to enhance emotion recognition in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD.
• To assess the treatment's efficacy in improving the recognition of both facial affect and spoken prosody.
• To evaluate the treatment's impact on attention and the generalization of skills to interpersonal relationships.

Main Methods:

• Eight Veterans diagnosed with mTBI/PTSD participated in an eight-session treatment program.
• Emotion recognition was assessed using the Florida Affect Battery (FAB) and the Emotion Recognition Test (ERT).
• Neuropsychological status, including the Attention Index of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), was also measured.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in FAB scores (p=0.01, effect size=1.2) and RBANS attention index (p=0.04, effect size=0.99).
• The Emotion Recognition Test (ERT) showed a trending toward significance (effect size=0.75).
• Participants actively engaged in all sessions, with qualitative data suggesting generalization of training to real-world relationships.

Conclusions:

• The developed treatment demonstrates promising clinical potential for restoring emotion recognition in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD.
• These findings underscore the importance of novel interventions for this population.
• Further research is warranted to validate and expand upon these preliminary results.