Empatica, a digital health and AI company, has been selected by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) as a technology partner for a clinical study aimed at developing new therapies to treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The Phase 2 study, led by the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity (USAMMDA), will evaluate multiple potential pharmacotherapeutic interventions for PTSD in active-duty service members and veterans. Participants in the study will wear Empatica's FDA-cleared EmbracePlus smartwatch, which tracks physiological data such as sleep, actigraphy, and electrodermal activity. The data collected aims to explore the utility of digital measures in diagnosing and predicting PTSD subtypes, as well as monitoring the effect of interventions on PTSD symptoms, potentially enabling personalised care.
Matteo Lai, CEO and Co-Founder of Empatica, expressed confidence that the data generated by their platform will play a crucial role in advancing mental health care for veterans and active-duty personnel facing PTSD. PTSD, triggered by traumatic events, affects approximately 4% of the global population, with around 7% of veterans developing the condition.
The study seeks to address the substantial challenges posed by PTSD, with a focus on understanding the condition and exploring opportunities for personalised care to reduce its prevalence and impact. The use of the EmbracePlus smartwatch in the study allows continuous monitoring and collection of diverse physiological data for research purposes.
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