Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticPhase 4NCT03652922
Propranolol Reactivation Mismatch (PRM) Treatment for PTSD
A Phase 4 study testing Reactivation Mismatch in people with Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, run by Massachusetts General Hospital.
Trial summary
The aim of the proposed work is to gather pilot data from an attempt to enhance the ability of propranolol reactivation (PR) to improve PTSD symptoms by incorporating into the design a mismatch (PRM) between what is expected and what occurs while a subject reads a narrative of the traumatic event that caused their… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
- What is being tested?
- Reactivation Mismatch
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 11 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Sep 2018to Nov 2019
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Convenience sample of pilot subjects between ages 18 and 65 with active PTSD
Who cannot join
- Age <18 or >65;
- Basal systolic blood pressure <100 mm Hg or heart rate <55 beats per minute;
- Medical condition that contraindicates the administration of propranolol, e.g., history of congestive heart failure, heart block, insulin-requiring diabetes, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma. With regard to asthma, because many persons who say they have had an asthma attack, especially as a child, may only have had hay fever, another allergy, or another non-asthmatic episode, a blanket exclusion criterion may be overly restrictive. Therefore, asthma attacks will only be exclusionary if they a.) occurred within the past ten years, b.) occurred at any time in life if induced by a β-blocker, or c.) are currently being treated, regardless of the date of last occurrence;
- Previous adverse reaction to, or non-compliance with, a β-blocker
- Current use of medication that may involve potentially dangerous interactions with propranolol, including, other β-adrenergic blockers, antiarrhythmics, calcium channel blockers and benzodiazepines. Subjects taking an α-1-adrenergic antagonist (e.g., prazosin) or an α -1-adrenergic agonist (e.g., clonidine) will be asked to refrain from taking this medication on the day of a study medication visit. Note: Possible inhibition of CYP2D6 isoenzyme-dependent reactions will not be of concern in this study, because propranolol will only be administered once a week for six weeks;
- Presence of drugs of abuse, including opiates, marijuana, cocaine, or amphetamines, as determined by saliva or urine testing;
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- Pregnancy or breast feeding. Women of childbearing age will have a pregnancy test prior to being administered study medication at study week 0, and again at study week 7, following study medication discontinuation;
- Current PTSD from a traumatic event other than the event being treated, or another contraindicating psychiatric condition, e.g., current psychotic, bipolar, melancholic, or active substance dependence or abuse disorder;
- Initiation of, or change in, psychotropic medication within the previous two months. For subjects receiving stable doses of pharmacotherapy, they and their providers will be asked not to change the regimen during the proposed two-month study (excluding the 6-month follow-up) except in clinically urgent circumstances; if this becomes necessary, a decision will be made on a case-by-case basis with regard to retaining the subject or terminating participation
- Current participation in any psychotherapy (other than supportive). Subjects will be asked not to initiate new psychotherapy during the proposed two-month study (excluding the 6-month follow-up) except in clinically urgent circumstances; if this becomes necessary, a decision will be made on a case-by-case basis with regard to retaining the subject or terminating participation;
- Inability to understand the study's procedures, risks, and side effects, or to otherwise give informed consent for participation;
- Subject candidate does not understand English. This exclusion criterion is necessary because the procedures require a subtle dialogue with solely English-speaking investigators, which translation cannot accomplish. There is a need for rapid communication with English-speaking investigators in case of an adverse drug effect.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet.
About this study
Official title: Propranolol Reactivation Mismatch (PRM) Treatment for PTSD: A Pilot Study
The aim of the proposed work is to gather pilot data from an attempt to enhance the ability of propranolol reactivation (PR) to improve PTSD symptoms by incorporating into the design a mismatch (PRM) between what is expected and what occurs while a subject reads a narrative of the traumatic event that caused their PTSD under the influence of the ß-adrenergic blocking drug propranolol. It is hypothesized that a series of PRM treatments will produce superior symptomatic decreases compared to what the investigators have found in prior, published studies using PR without mismatch.
Under certain circumstances, retrieval (reactivation) of a traumatic memory returns it to a deconsolidated state from which it must be reconsolidated if it is to persist. Concomitant administration of the ß-adrenergic blocker weakens a deconsolidated traumatic memory and reduces PTSD symptoms, presumably through blockade of reconsolidation. It has recently been discovered that in order for deconsolidation to occur, there must be a mismatch between what is expected and what actually occurs. Altering the context in which a traumatic memory is retrieved putatively represents a deconsolidation-promoting mismatch. Experimentally increasing mismatch by manipulating context may make propranolol more effective in the treatment of PTSD.
Read more
The design is a single-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized PRM clinical trial by Partners researchers in 11 convenience pilot subjects between ages 18 and 65 with active PTSD, using a 10:1 propranolol:placebo randomization schedule. This two-month study will have the following components: Pre-treatment psychometric evaluation; Treatment consisting of six weekly PRM sessions with propranolol, or placebo; Post-treatment psychometric evaluation; Six-month follow-up psychometric evaluation. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and PTSD Checklist (PCL) will be administered at pre- and post-treatment and at follow-up. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fifth edition (DSM-5) will also be administered at the pre-treatment evaluation. The PCL will also be administered prior to each weekly treatment session.
Pilot data analysis will consist of calculation of percent improvements and effect sizes in CAPS-5 and PCL-5 scores; observational comparisons with results obtained without mismatch in prior published studies; informal statistical comparisons via t-tests; and calculation of effect sizes for power analysis for a subsequent definitive study, if indicated.
- Conditions
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
- Being tested
- Reactivation Mismatch
- Medical subject headings
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Reactivation MismatchDrug
Ninety minutes prior to each of six weekly traumatic memory reactivation sessions, the subject will be given 0.67 mg/kg of short-acting propranolol (or placebo), rounded up to the nearest 10 mg (minimum 40 mg) and 1 mg/kg of oral long-acting propranolol or placebo (minimum 60 mg). rounded so as to achieve a dose of 60, 80, 120, or 160 mg. The subject will then read a narrative of their personal traumatic event aloud. During each weekly reading, a simple, different "mismatch" condition will be created by having the subject do such things as whisper the narrative, skip over every word that contains the letter "e," pronounce the narrative in a different accent, or alter the tense and/or person of the narrative.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Propranolol | Experimental | Not described Receives: Drug: Reactivation Mismatch |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Not described Receives: Drug: Reactivation Mismatch |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Change Score
The PCL-5 is a published, validated, 20-item questionnaire, corresponding to the DSM-5 symptom criteria for PTSD. The self-report rating scale is 0-4 for each symptom. Possible scores range from 0 to 80.
Measured: Change from Baseline at Week 0 to Post-Treatment at Week 7
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Aug 2018
- Study startSep 2018 (estimated)
- Primary completionNov 2019 (estimated)
- Study completionNov 2019 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Roger K. Pitman, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Investigators
- Roger K Pitman, MD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03652922
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2018P001517
- Status last verified
- Aug 2018
- First submitted
- 22 Aug 2018
- Last updated
- 29 Aug 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Aug 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Propranolol Reactivation Mismatch (PRM) Treatment for PTSD: A Pilot Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03652922
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2018P001517
- Conditions
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Sep 2018 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Nov 2019 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Nov 2019 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 Aug 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of the proposed work is to gather pilot data from an attempt to enhance the ability of propranolol reactivation (PR) to improve PTSD symptoms by incorporating into the design a mismatch (PRM) between what is expected and what occurs while a subject reads a narrative of the traumatic event that caused their PTSD under the influence of the ß-adrenergic blocking drug propranolol. It is hypothesized that a series of PRM treatments will produce superior symptomatic decreases compared to what the investigators have found in prior, published studies using PR without mismatch.
Under certain circumstances, retrieval (reactivation) of a traumatic memory returns it to a deconsolidated state from which it must be reconsolidated if it is to persist. Concomitant administration of the ß-adrenergic blocker weakens a deconsolidated traumatic memory and reduces PTSD symptoms, presumably through blockade of reconsolidation. It has recently been discovered that in order for deconsolidation to occur, there must be a mismatch between what is expected and what actually occurs. Altering the context in which a traumatic memory is retrieved putatively represents a deconsolidation-promoting mismatch. Experimentally increasing mismatch by manipulating context may make propranolol more effective in the treatment of PTSD.
The design is a single-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized PRM clinical trial by Partners researchers in 11 convenience pilot subjects between ages 18 and 65 with active PTSD, using a 10:1 propranolol:placebo randomization schedule. This two-month study will have the following components: Pre-treatment psychometric evaluation; Treatment consisting of six weekly PRM sessions with propranolol, or placebo; Post-treatment psychometric evaluation; Six-month follow-up psychometric evaluation. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and PTSD Checklist (PCL) will be administered at pre- and post-treatment and at follow-up. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fifth edition (DSM-5) will also be administered at the pre-treatment evaluation. The PCL will also be administered prior to each weekly treatment session.
Pilot data analysis will consist of calculation of percent improvements and effect sizes in CAPS-5 and PCL-5 scores; observational comparisons with results obtained without mismatch in prior published studies; informal statistical comparisons via t-tests; and calculation of effect sizes for power analysis for a subsequent definitive study, if indicated.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Propranolol | Experimental | Drug: Reactivation Mismatch |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Drug: Reactivation Mismatch |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Convenience sample of pilot subjects between ages 18 and 65 with active PTSD
Key exclusion criteria (12 listed)
- Age <18 or >65;
- Basal systolic blood pressure <100 mm Hg or heart rate <55 beats per minute;
- Medical condition that contraindicates the administration of propranolol, e.g., history of congestive heart failure, heart block, insulin-requiring diabetes, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma. With regard to asthma, because many persons who say they have had an asthma attack, especially as a child, may only have had hay fever, another allergy, or another non-asthmatic episode, a blanket exclusion criterion may be overly restrictive. Therefore, asthma attacks will only be exclusionary if they a.) occurred within the past ten years, b.) occurred at any time in life if induced by a β-blocker, or c.) are currently being treated, regardless of the date of last occurrence;
- Previous adverse reaction to, or non-compliance with, a β-blocker
- Current use of medication that may involve potentially dangerous interactions with propranolol, including, other β-adrenergic blockers, antiarrhythmics, calcium channel blockers and benzodiazepines. Subjects taking an α-1-adrenergic antagonist (e.g., prazosin) or an α -1-adrenergic agonist (e.g., clonidine) will be asked to refrain from taking this medication on the day of a study medication visit. Note: Possible inhibition of CYP2D6 isoenzyme-dependent reactions will not be of concern in this study, because propranolol will only be administered once a week for six weeks;
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Reactivation MismatchNinety minutes prior to each of six weekly traumatic memory reactivation sessions, the subject will be given 0.67 mg/kg of short-acting propranolol (or placebo), rounded up to the nearest 10 mg (minimum 40 mg) and 1 mg/kg of oral long-acting propranolol or placebo (minimum 60 mg). rounded so as to achieve a dose of 60, 80, 120, or 160 mg. The subject will then read a narrative of their personal traumatic event aloud. During each weekly reading, a simple, different "mismatch" condition will be created by having the subject do such things as whisper the narrative, skip over every word that contains the letter "e," pronounce the narrative in a different accent, or alter the tense and/or person of the narrative. | Drug | Placebo, Propranolol |
Primary outcome
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Change Score
Time frame: Change from Baseline at Week 0 to Post-Treatment at Week 7
The PCL-5 is a published, validated, 20-item questionnaire, corresponding to the DSM-5 symptom criteria for PTSD. The self-report rating scale is 0-4 for each symptom. Possible scores range from 0 to 80.
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Aug 2018.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Roger K Pitman, MD principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 4 study testing Reactivation Mismatch in people with Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, run by Massachusetts General Hospital.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Aug 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Roger K Pitman, MD (617-726-5333, roger_pitman@hms.harvard.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Change Score (time frame: Change from Baseline at Week 0 to Post-Treatment at Week 7). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Aug 2018.