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Measurement of Pituitary Volume and Hormonal Changes in Patients With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

NCT00815204 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 39

Last updated 2015-02-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Approximately, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in 8% of the adult population over time. Exposure to traumatic events increases the risk of poor physical health and often leads to disability. The biology of PTSD is continually being explored in order to help find better treatments for this debilitating disorder. In our study, we propose to further our understanding of PTSD. Prior research has found that patients with PTSD have changes in the stress hormone pathway. In this pathway, there is release of certain hormones from the pituitary gland in the brain that feed into the blood stream and tell the adrenal gland to produce stress hormones.

The pituitary is a gland located at the base of the brain which controls the hormones in the body, including the stress hormones. Research in other psychiatric disorders has found changes in the pituitary volume along with changes in the hormones. This has not been investigated yet in PTSD. Therefore, we propose in our study to measure pituitary volume in people with PTSD and look at the changes in the stress hormone pathway. Moreover, we will investigate whether other hormones are affected by PTSD. In this way, we can further our understanding of the the biology of PTSD and help develop new therapies which can intervene through the hormonal system.

Conditions

Interventions

PROCEDURE

MRI of the pituitary

Patients will undergo a T1 weighted MRI of the pituitary to measure pituitary volume

PROCEDURE

DEX/CRH test

Subjects will have blood drawn for baseline ACTH, cortisol, and other hormones and then undergo a DEX/CRH test. Will then measure ACTH and cortisol on test.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Shlomo Melmed, MD · Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

  • Odelia Cooper, MD · Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2008-05-31
Primary Completion
2014-07-31
Completion
2014-07-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

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 NCT00815204 on ClinicalTrials.gov