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The Effects of Propranolol and Hydrocortisone on Military-Relevant Performance Outcomes

NCT06982183 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 88

Last updated 2026-05-13

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This clinical trial aims to evaluate the nature and duration of effects of three FDA-approved medications (propranolol and hydrocortisone) on military-relevant cognitive, emotional, and motor performance following an exposure to a stressful situation (i.e., exposure to a tarantula) in physically healthy adult volunteers (aged 18 - 40) with fear of spiders to help the future development of medications for treating Acute Stress Reactions.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Will placebo treatment (oral placebo) result in significant decrements in Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) performance compared to propranolol treatment?

Will placebo treatment \[intramuscular (IM) placebo\] result in significant decrements in PVT performance compared to hydrocortisone treatment?

Participants will receive one of five study medications (oral propranolol, oral placebo, IM hydrocortisone, or IM placebo) after a brief exposure to a tarantula. Participants will complete cognitive and simple motor tasks and psychological assessments before and after the study medication administration.

Conditions

  • Fear of Spiders
  • Acute Stress Reaction

Interventions

DRUG

Propranolol

An administration of a 40-mg propranolol capsule immediately after tarantula exposure

DRUG

Hydrocortisone

An intramuscular administration of 62.5 mg/1 ml of hydrocortisone immediately after tarantula exposure

DRUG

Placebo (oral)

An administration of a placebo capsule after tarantula exposure

DRUG

Placebo (IM)

An intramuscular administration of 1 ml of saline immediately after tarantula exposure

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)

    lead FED

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-05-27
Primary Completion
2026-09-30
Completion
2026-09-30
FDA Drug
Yes

Countries

  • United States

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 NCT06982183 on ClinicalTrials.gov