Improvement in Executive Functioning after Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation Training Predicts Reduction in PTSD Hyperarousal Symptoms Among Veterans With Comorbid PTSD and Mild TBI

Abstract

To investigate whether change in neurocognitive outcomes after Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation (GOALS) training predicts change in PTSD symptoms among Veterans with comorbid PTSD and Mild TBI as compared to a control training, Brain Health Education (BHE) . In previous studies civilian and Veteran participants with chronic mild-severe TBI, as well as comorbid PTSD/mild TBI, significantly improved after GOALS executive function training, but not control training, on measures of executive function, functional task performance and emotional regulation (Novakovic-Agopian et al. 2011, 2018, 2019 ).