Incorporating wearable activity tracking into prolonged exposure treatment for PTSD
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Akers, Kenneth William
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Abstract
Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) is an effective type of cognitive behavioral therapy for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the lack of quantitative feedback on treatment progress burdens clinicians and frequently causes patients to drop out of treatment. Previous research has revealed the role of heart rate variability as a proxy for PTSD symptoms, and indicated a general acceptance of Fitbit use in treatment among patients. In this pilot study, we evaluate the usability of Fitbit wearables in conjunction with the existing Prolonged Exposure Continuous Sensing System (PECSS). We present initial findings from nine mock PE trials involving undergraduate researchers from Georgia Tech. Observational results show promising indications that heart rate sensed from the Fitbit, as well as audio metrics and self-reported data collected via the PECSS mobile app, may positively augment clinical care for patients in PE programs for PTSD.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis