Neuroactive Steroids and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in OEF/OIF Veterans

Summary

Purpose: Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is extremely common among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) era Veterans. Mild TBI is frequently accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms, co-occurring disorders that contribute to increased disability and decreased quality of life. Neuroactive steroids (NS) represent promising pharmacological candidates for intervention for these diverse symptom domains, since a number of these molecules demonstrate pronounced neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties. The NS pregnenolone (PREG) is a logical therapeutic option, since it enhances learning and memory and also increases myelination in rodent models. Further, decreases in PREG have been associated with depressive symptoms, and PREG is also metabolized to allopregnanolone (ALLO), an anxiolytic downstream NS that is decreased in PTSD. ALLO also enhances neurogenesis in rodents. The investigators thus propose an randomized controlled trial (RCT) in OEF/OIF era Veterans with mild TBI.

Methodology: The design of this study will be randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind. Trial duration will be 10 weeks, consisting of a 2-week placebo lead-in period for all subjects, followed by 8 weeks of treatment with either pregnenolone or placebo. The primary cognitive outcome measure will be executive functioning (as assessed by the Tower of London test), and the primary behavioral outcome measure will be PTSD Cluster D symptoms (as assessed by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, CAPS). The investigators will also determine if PREG administration in OEF/OIF Veterans with mild TBI increases downstream ALLO and/or other GABAergic NS levels, and the investigators will identify the specific metabolism profile of PREG following eight weeks of treatment with this neurosteroid.

Anticipated Findings: The investigators hypothesize that treatment with PREG in OEF/OIF era Veterans with mild TBI will significantly improve executive functioning compared to the placebo condition. The investigators also predict that treatment with PREG will decrease Cluster D PTSD symptoms compared to treatment with placebo.

Conditions

• Brain Injuries, Traumatic

Interventions

DRUG

Pregnenolone

Pregnenolone 50 mg BID x 14 DAYS, followed by Pregnenolone 150 mg BID x 14 DAYS, followed by Pregnenolone 250 mg BID x thereafter for the remainder of the 8-week trial

DRUG

Placebo

Same as active comparator, except placebo dispensed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• VA Office of Research and Development

  lead FED

Principal Investigators

• Christine Marx, MD MA · Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Max Age

55 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-10-31

Primary Completion

2016-02-29

Completion

2016-02-29

Countries

• United States

Study Locations