Veteran Research Study
Researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center are conducting a study on how trauma and chronic pain affect brain function in U.S. veterans.
Fast Facts
Veterans with combat-related trauma
Experience chronic back pain
Compensation
provided up to $425
Conducted in
San Francisco, CA
Study Background
This study aims to better understand how combat-related trauma and chronic pain interact in the brain.
Many veterans experience both chronic pain and symptoms related to past traumatic experiences, such as PTSD. While each condition has been studied on its own, less is known about how they influence one another in the brain when they occur together. Understanding this relationship is critical for improving care for veterans living with both conditions.
In this study, researchers use brain imaging, sensory testing, and questionnaires to examine how pain, mood, and thinking processes are connected. The findings may help identify biological markers associated with trauma and chronic pain, which could guide the development of more effective treatments for veterans in the future.
Study Background
This study aims to better understand how combat-related trauma and chronic pain interact in the brain.
Many veterans experience both chronic pain and symptoms related to past traumatic experiences, such as PTSD. While each condition has been studied on its own, less is known about how they influence one another in the brain when they occur together. Understanding this relationship is critical for improving care for veterans living with both conditions.
In this study, researchers use brain imaging, sensory testing, and questionnaires to examine how pain, mood, and thinking processes are connected. The findings may help identify biological markers associated with trauma and chronic pain, which could guide the development of more effective treatments for veterans in the future.
Additional Information
This study is being done to learn how trauma and chronic pain affect brain function in veterans, with the goal of improving diagnosis and treatment for people experiencing both conditions.
You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Veterans with combat-related trauma
- Experience chronic back pain
- No history of bipolar disorder, mania, or recent substance use disorders
- Live in California
- Able to undergo an MRI (no permanent metal objects in the body)
- Ages 18-65
If you are interested, you will first complete a phone screening to see if you may be eligible. If eligible, you will be invited to a single in-person visit at the San Francisco VA Medical Center that lasts about 4 hours. During the visit, you will complete questionnaires about pain, mood, and thinking, take part in sensory testing to measure sensitivity to warm and hot temperatures, and complete tasks while undergoing a brain MRI scan.
Participants will be compensated $100 per hour for the study visit, for up to $400 total. You will also receive a $25 travel reimbursement, for a total of up to $425.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.