Newswise — Bethesda, MD – Exposure to traumatic events can result in sleep disorders, depression, hyper-vigilance, increased irritability, anger and other changes in those who have experienced the trauma. Now, researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM) are conducting a study using smart phone applications to help address these issues and build resilience in military service members and their families.

The GETSmart, Guided Education and Training via Smart Phones to Promote Resilience, study is now open to all active and retired military service members, as well as their family members, who may be experiencing stress after military deployment, an act of violence, or even a natural disaster. Study participants will use smart phones or tablets and a variety of different applications on a daily basis for six weeks to help relax and to think or act in ways that can better relieve stress. Study enrollees can participate from anywhere, at any time, making it easy to participate, especially for those who are in remote locations.

“It has long been said that prevention is the best medicine, and rather than wait for PTSD to develop, we hope this study will show that by helping those who have some symptoms, but not full PTSD, we can decrease those symptoms and decrease the risk of developing full PTSD,” said Dr. Michael Roy, principal investigator of the CNRM-funded study.

For more information on this and other CNRM studies, please visit www.cnrmstudies.org.

About CNRM:The CNRM is a federal intramural program that brings together clinical researchers from USU, the National Institutes of Health and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. CNRM studies the full spectrum of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress, with a special focus on military-relevant injuries.

About USU:The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, founded by an act of Congress in 1972, is the nation’s federal health sciences university and the academic heart of the Military Health System. USU students are primarily active duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who receive specialized education in tropical and infectious diseases, TBI and PTSD, disaster response and humanitarian assistance, global health, and acute trauma care. A large percentage of the university’s more than 5,200 physician and 1,000 advanced practice nursing alumni are supporting operations around the world, offering their leadership and expertise. USU also has graduate programs in biomedical sciences and public health committed to excellence in research, and in oral biology. The University's research program covers a wide range of clinical and other topics important to both the military and public health. For more information about USU and its programs, visit www.usuhs.edu.

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