Principal Investigator:
Suzette Brémault-Phillips, PhD, OT,
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta
What is 3MDR?
3MDR is an innovative treatment for PTSD and related conditions. It incorporates some elements of established treatments such as Virtual Reality (VR) Exposure and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR).
3MDR consists of a 10-week brief exposure-based psychotherapy, received from trained therapists while walking on a treadmill in a VR environment featuring self-selected imagery and music.
Where is 3MDR currently available?
3MDR is currently being delivered to study participants in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Canmore.
More locations across Alberta are in development and/or will start delivering treatment in the near future (e.g., Fort McMurray, Peace River).
Study Information
Study Title: Multi-modal, Motion-assisted, Memory Desensitization and Reconsolidation (3MDR) virtual reality-based treatment for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder and associated conditions: A randomized waitlist control study
Principal Investigator: Suzette Brémault-Phillips, PhD, OT, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta
Health Research Ethics Protocol Pro00084466 (University of Alberta)
Aim: To study the effectiveness of 3MDR with:
Regular and reserve force military members and Veterans
Public safety personnel - including but not limited to firefighters (career and volunteer), paramedics, police (municipal, provincial, federal), search and rescue personnel, correctional services officers, border services officers, operational intelligence personnel, Indigenous emergency managers, public safety communications officials
Healthcare professionals and essential service providers
And their adult family members
General public
Who may be able to receive 3MDR?
Only individuals enrolled in the 3MDR research study can receive 3MDR at this time as it is currently only offered in the context of a research study.
Individuals being considered for participation in the 3MDR study must:
Be aged 18 or more years.
Be English speaking.
Be from one or more of the following groups:
Regular and reserve Canadian Armed Forces service members, and Veterans,
Public safety personnel (PSP - e.g., paramedics, police, firefighters, and correction officers),
Healthcare professionals (HCP) and Essential service providers (ESP),
Adult family members of the aforementioned groups,
General public
Have one or more of the following concerns present for at least 3 months:
Official diagnosis of PTSD from a mental health professional;
A post-traumatic or operational stress injury or other related mental health condition;
Score above 30 on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5);
Trauma associated with service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Military sexual trauma;
Moral injury; and/or
Stress-related condition.
Agree to be screened by a research team member for study eligibility.
Be able to participate in 3MDR at one of the study sites for 2 hours, once a week for 10 to 14 consecutive weeks and engage in follow up sessions.
Be under the care of a healthcare provider or team (primary service provider) for mental health needs during the course of 3MDR and following receipt of the intervention. If the individual's 3MDR therapist is not their regular mental healthcare provider, the primary service provider would need to provide authorization for the individual's potential participation in the 3MDR study, as well as consent for release of information to the research team. Note that the research team will not provide ongoing physical or mental health support
Be able to walk on a treadmill for 1 hour (or, if the individual uses a wheelchair, be able to maintain a regular wheelchair pace for 60 minutes on a wheelchair trainer unit, which is equivalent to a treadmill for a wheelchair user).
Would benefit from psychotherapy and be able to process trauma, learn new things, and reconsolidate memories.
If engaging in psychotherapeutic intervention, be stable on a consistent treatment regime and agree not to enter into new interventions during receipt of the 3MDR intervention.
If undergoing pharmacotherapy, be stable on their current psychotropic medication for a period of 4 weeks before entering the trial and agree to not increase dosages or add any new medications during the course of the trial.
If using substances (e.g., alcohol or cannabis), its use must be stable and not interfere with effectively engaging in trauma therapy.
If individuals have co-morbid conditions, other inclusion/exclusion criteria must be satisfied.
Not be acutely suicidal or have psychosis.
Not have a significant history of non-attendance in previous therapies.
What would a 3MDR study participant do?
Assessments, surveys, and interviews.
3MDR Clinical Program:
Ten weeks, one session per week, 1-2 hours per session
Two preparatory sessions
Six 3MDR intervention sessions
Two reconsolidation sessions
Follow-up sessions (typically 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after receiving 3MDR)
The total time for study participation is approximately 30 hours
What are potential benefits receiving 3MDR?
Improve stress- and trauma-related symptoms (e.g., sleep challenges, avoidance, emotional regulation).
Work through trauma in a personalized and empowering way.
Gain a new perspective on life experiences and relationships.