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Propranolol in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

NCT00465608 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2009-01-07

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Problem and Objectives: There is currently no pharmacological treatment for curing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The investigators will test whether propranolol when given immediately after trauma evocation is able to decrease the strength of the traumatic memory, and by extension, the severity of PTSD symptoms associated with that memory.

Hypotheses:

1. The subjects will show a significant pre/post decrease in PTSD symptoms.
2. Those gains will be maintained at follow-up.

Study Design: Open pharmacological trial.

Method: On the first visit (V1), the subjects will describe their traumatic experience in writing and will receive the propranolol. A script describing this experience will be constructed to be used in the subsequent encounters to elicit the trauma memory. A week later (V2), before receiving the propranolol, subjects will be asked to read aloud their trauma script while imagining it as vividly as possible for 10 minutes. This weekly treatment will be repeated 6 times (from V1 to V6). A total of 6 doses of propranolol will be given. A self-report measure will be used to monitor improvement in PTSD symptomatology on the following visits: V1, V4, V6, V7 and V8 (3 month follow-up).

Statistical Analyses: A repeated measure ANOVA (pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up) using the PTSD symptom score will be conducted.. Three t-tests will be performed to examine simple effects. The alpha level will be set at p = .05 (two-tailed). Fisher's exact test will be used to examine whether Ss still meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD at the end of the study.

Clinical Implications: If this treatment is effective, a randomized controlled trial will be launched. This treatment has the potential to become the first pharmacological treatment designed to cure PTSD.

Conditions

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions

DRUG

propranolol

propranolol by mouth (per os)

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Hospital, Toulouse

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Philippe BIRMES · University Hospital, Toulouse

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2007-04-30
Primary Completion
2008-11-30
Completion
2008-11-30

Countries

  • France

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00465608 on ClinicalTrials.gov