Treatment for PTSD and Tinnitus

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT SAN ANTONIO · Aug 5, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying the best way to treat two conditions that often happen together in military personnel and veterans: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and tinnitus, which is a ringing or buzzing sound in the ears. Researchers want to find out whether it works better to treat PTSD first with a type of talk therapy called Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and then treat tinnitus with another therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Tinnitus (CBT-t), or if doing the treatments in the opposite order makes a difference. They will also look at how these treatments might change brain activity.

People who may join this study are adults between 18 and 74 years old who are active duty military members or veterans diagnosed with PTSD and who have had at least one mild traumatic brain injury (like a concussion). They must have ongoing, bothersome tinnitus that might be related to their head injury. Participants need to be stable on any medications for mental health and able to understand and speak English. During the study, participants will receive both types of therapy, but in different sequences, and researchers will observe how their symptoms and brain function change. It’s important to know that certain people won’t be able to join, such as those currently in other talk therapies, with severe hearing loss, recent psychiatric hospital stays, or serious substance use issues. The study hasn’t started recruiting yet, but it aims to help improve treatments for PTSD and tinnitus in military-related cases.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adult male and female active duty military personnel and veterans seeking treatment for PTSD
• • Diagnosis of PTSD
• • Person has experienced at least one mild traumatic brain injury (concussion)
• • Ability to speak and read English
• • Stable on any psychotropic medications
• • Meets criteria for chronic subjective and bothersome tinnitus
• • Chronic tinnitus is at least possibly related to head injury
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Currently receiving other talk therapies
• • Severe hearing loss that would prevent the participant from benefiting from therapy
• • Current severe suicidal ideation
• • Psychiatric hospitalization in the last 12 months
• • Moderate to severe substance use that would prevent the participant form benefiting from therapy
• • Current manic episode or psychotic symptoms requiring immediate stabilization or hospitalization
• • Significant cognitive impairment
• • Moderate to severe brain damage
• • Neurobiological disorders
• • Temporomandibular joint disorders and/or Meniere's disease that cause acute pain