Trifecta Research Study

Summary

The Special Operations Care-Fund (SOC-F) will sponsor the application of four treatments - hormone replacement, magnetic resonance brain stimulation, ibogaine, and 5-Meo-DMT - to Special Operations Forces veterans with a history of combat deployments, traumatic brain injury, and problems with mental health and cognitive functioning. An observational study will be conducted in parallel by the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research to determine the effectiveness and safety of each treatment, primarily through measuring post-treatment changes in PTSD symptoms and cognitive functioning.

Conditions

• PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Cognitive Dysfunction
• Brain Trauma
• Brain Injuries

Interventions

OTHER

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a medical treatment that involves restoring healthy endocrine functioning through supplementing or balancing hormones, such as testosterone or estrogen, to address deficiencies caused by injury, aging, or stress.

OTHER

Magnetic Resonance Therapy (MeRT)

MeRT, an EEG (electroencephalography)-guided Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy, is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain, guided by an individual's brain patterns. MeRT is a neuromodulatory tool that has shown therapeutic efficacy in relation to a number of psychopathological targets including PTSD, depression, and TBI-related cognitive impairment through promoting cortical excitability, modulating neurotransmission, and restoring neuroplasticity.

DRUG

ibogaine with magnesium treatment

Ibogaine, an indole alkaloid that interacts with mu opioid, kappa opioid, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA), and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, shows early signs of effectiveness as a rapid-acting treatment for a number of mental health disorders including addiction. It is believed to work by promoting neuroplasticity and modulating brain chemistry, which may help reset dysfunctional neural circuits. The treatment is unique in its psychoactive properties, offering a deeply introspective experience that may help individuals process emotional material from the individual's lives.

DRUG

5-MeO-DMT

5-MeO-DMT, as described in the study, is a 5-HT 2A agonist compound used in previous clinical research to address depression. Unlike other treatments, 5-MeO-DMT acts rapidly and has a short duration of action, offering an intense but time-limited psychoactive state. Its potential to enhance neuroplasticity and recalibrate dysfunctional brain networks makes it a unique approach for addressing the complex interplay of psychological and neurological symptoms.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Special Operators Care Fund

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Johns Hopkins University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sandeep Nayak, MD · Johns Hopkins University

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-09-30

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2027-12-31

FDA Drug

Yes

FDA Device

Yes

Countries

• United States

Study Locations