Prism For PTSD

Prism For PTSD services offered in Sandy Springs and Alpharetta, GA

Prism for PTSD is the first new FDA-cleared treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in nearly 25 years. Experienced psychiatrist Karen Giles, MD, MS, at Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions in Sandy Springs and Alpharetta, Georgia, is an early adopter of this powerful new treatment for PTSD. To learn more about Prism and how it could benefit you, call Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions today or book an appointment online.

What is Prism?

Prism for PTSD is a neuroscience-based therapy, FDA-cleared to treat PTSD. During Prism treatment, a computer simulation and EEG headset create an environment where patients engage in a non-trauma-based experience to help them learn to control their PTSD symptoms. There is no medication and little to no side effects involved with this therapy.

How does Prism work?

Research has shown that PTSD is associated with hyperactivity of the amygdala, the center of our fight-flight-freeze response. Prism is the first PTSD treatment that utilizes an amygdala-based biomarker associated with mental health disorders.

This neurofeedback software device is intended to help address the root of PTSD symptoms through the use of EEG biofeedback. Prism is an adjunctive treatment of symptoms associated with PTSD.

What Happens During a Prism Neurofeedback Session?

For the Prism procedure, the patient will sit in a quiet room with a computer monitor. They will be fitted with an EEG headset, which looks like a swim cap with small electrodes. These electrodes monitor brain waves, similar to how a fitness monitor measures heart rate.

During a Prism session, the patient watches a computer simulation with agitated avatars, while the EEG headset measures their brain activity in real-time. The patient is instructed to identify a mental strategy – an experience, memory or emotion – to make the avatars sit down.

Prism reads the signal from the EEG headset and computes the amygdala-based biomarker. Once the patient engages with a mental strategy that reduces the amygdala-biomarker level, the avatars will gradually sit and quiet down. Think of it like placing a mirror in front of this brain activity. This personal mental strategy is practiced in the clinic and may be applied in everyday life to help control PTSD symptoms.

Curious how this works? Watch a video by Prism creator GrayMatters Health: Watch the video

How Effective is Prism for PTSD?

The Prism for PTSD multi-center clinical study demonstrated the following results 3 months after the 15-session regimen (5 months from baseline):

67% of patients overall demonstrated clinically significant symptom improvement as measured by CAPS-5.
Significant improvement in sleep, as measured by PHQ-9 and CAPS-5.
32% of patients experienced remission.
90% patient compliance.
Mild side effects, such as fatigue and headache, resolved after treatment with no further intervention.