Tel Aviv University develops personalized self-treatment to prevent development of PTSD

A novel project led by TAU’s Faculty of Medicine, the Yezreel Valley College, and Microsoft Israel R&D Center will enable individuals to halt the development of PTSD following a traumatic event through personalized self-treatment on their smartphones or computers. 

The researchers explain: “The new technology will enable immediate stabilization of an individual’s emotional state after a traumatic event, such as a distressing military incident, through a brief self-intervention that takes several minutes. A person’s physiological and emotional reaction to such an event can disrupt their immediate functioning, and if it lasts long enough, it can turn into PTSD. Our goal is to interrupt this chain of reactions right at the start through easily accessible online means. The system relies on 80 videos in which self-training exercises are taught by specialized psychologists.”

The project was led by Dr. Oren Asman, Director of the Samueli Initiative for Responsible AI in Medicine, and Prof. Yael Lahav, Head of the Psychological Trauma Research Lab, both at the Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. Other participants included Dr. Amir Tal from TAU and Dr. Zohar Elyoseph, Head of the Center for Psychobiological Research at the Yezreel Valley College, as well as engineers, product managers, UI/UX designers and data scientists from Microsoft Israel R&D Center and other academics. 

Dr. Asman: “Right after the war began, I spoke with representatives of the Ministry of Defense about the need to develop tools for addressing trauma on a national scale. We consulted with Prof. Yael Lahav, who suggested converting ISP® (Immediate Stabilization Procedure) - an early intervention approach applied by therapists immediately after trauma - into an online self-treatment platform. Microsoft Israel R&D volunteered a team of talented engineers, and we were on our way.”

Prof. Lahav explains: “ISP has been applied in Israel in face-to-face interventions, and also in Ukraine through Zoom, and was found to be effective in reducing distress resulting from trauma.” The procedure, developed by Dr. Gary Quinn, is based on the EMDR method recognized as a first-line treatment for post-trauma by the World Health Organization and other organizations. The procedure includes bilateral stimulation – alternating activation of the brain’s right and left hemispheres, for instance, by tapping both shoulders alternately, combined with exposure to statements specifically tailored to the patient’s primary distress, such as “You have no control over the future. You are doing your best to cope with the present situation.”

Once the development of the new tool is completed, the researchers will begin a clinical trial to ensure its effectiveness. They intend to offer the technology to the Ministries of Health, Defense, and Education, and possibly others, to make it accessible to as many people as possible.

Prof. Lahav: “I believe that the tool we have developed will have a favorable effect, preventing post-traumatic symptoms as well as other emotional difficulties that often follow trauma, such as depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms.”

Dr. Elyoseph adds that the technology can potentially provide a personalized prevention solution to tens of thousands of people simultaneously. For example, it can be used to treat a company of soldiers after combat, or a medical or educational team exposed to a traumatic event when it is impracticable to offer everyone immediate treatment from a human therapist.

The digital tool for self-treatment following trauma is an ad-hoc initiative of the Samueli Initiative for Responsible AI in Medicine established last June at Tel Aviv University. The purpose of the Samueli Initiative is to generate interdisciplinary thinking - both ideational and applicable - about AI in medicine: not only developing tools, but also considering the deeper, broader significance of AI in spheres like mental health and welfare, diagnostics, drug development, medical education, and public health.  

Corina Feuerstein, Product Manager at Microsoft Israel R&D Center: “The production process started immediately after October 7th and was led by our local innovation lab, the Garage", following the understanding that this technology can assist and be part of the solution for many people in need of immediate help and in complex emotional situations. It is a great privilege to be part of this technological project which has such a meaningful social impact. Making accessible the option for personal treatment in an easy and quick way for a broad public lets us quickly reach a helping hand to those in need in the moment of distress. I hope it will help many people in the short and the long term.”

This article was written in cooperation with Tel Aviv University