A Placebo-Controlled Trial of D-Cycloserine and Exposure Therapy for Combat-PTSD
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Exposure therapy
- Conditions
- Combat Disorders
- Sponsor
- US Department of Veterans Affairs
- Enrollment
- 26
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Clinician Administered PTSD Scale-IV
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 12 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The primary aim of this project is to examine whether administration of D-Cycloserine (DCS), a partial N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist that has been shown to facilitate fear extinction, enhances the therapeutic benefit of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD.
Detailed Description
War-zone-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major psychiatric disorder that includes specific disabling symptoms and impairments that interfere with a soldier's ability to do his or her job. There is strong evidence for cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in treating PTSD in civilians, which suggests a prescription for returning veterans, but approximately 40% of patients retain a PTSD diagnosis (e.g., Foa et al., 1999) and drop-out rates are \~25%. It is imperative to develop novel evidence-based early interventions that are more acceptable to recent veterans and less draining of treatment resources. If CBT can be shortened and its efficacy boosted by cognitive enhancers then it is more likely that soldiers will get the most efficacious treatments for acute stress and PTSD. Our aim is to develop a program that is brief and effective, but will have long-term benefits for veterans by virtue of its greater amenability to self-management and treatment adherence beyond the therapy context. This study is a randomized, controlled, double-blind treatment trial comparing CBT plus DCS to CBT plus placebo. Participants will be 68 OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD randomly assigned to CBT plus DCS or CBT plus placebo. Procedures to screen subjects prior to randomization include a detailed phone screen, administration and collection of questionnaires, a medical assessment, and two baseline structured clinical interviews. Following randomization, both groups will receive the identical 6 session exposure-based CBT protocol. The DCS-augmented group will receive 50 mg of DCS 30 minutes prior to the four CBT sessions involving imaginal exposure, whereas the placebo-augmented group will receive a placebo pill prior to these sessions. Assessment interviews conducted by independent evaluators will occur at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at 3, and 6-month follow-up. Self-report measures will also be administered at screening, throughout the 6 weeks of treatment, and at 3- and 6- month follow up. Comparison(s): OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD treated with CBT plus DCS, compared to OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD treated with CBT plus placebo.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Male or female outpatients 18 years of age or older who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) and who have a primary diagnosis (designated by the patient as the most important source of distress of PTSD.
- •Willingness and ability to comply with the requirements of the study protocol.
Exclusion Criteria
- •A lifetime history of:
- •bipolar disorder
- •schizophrenia
- •psychosis
- •delusional disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder
- •organic brain syndrome
- •cognitive dysfunction that could interfere with capacity to engage in therapy
- •a history of substance or alcohol dependence (other than nicotine) in the last 6 months or otherwise unable to commit to refraining from alcohol use during the acute period of study participation.
- •Patients with significant suicidal ideation or who have enacted suicidal behaviors within 6 months prior to intake will be excluded from study participation and referred for appropriate services.
- •Patients must be off concurrent psychotropic medication (e.g., antidepressants, anxiolytics, beta blockers) for at least 2 weeks prior to initiation of randomized treatment.
Arms & Interventions
D-Cycloserine
Brief imaginal exposure therapy plus DCS pill
Intervention: Exposure therapy
D-Cycloserine
Brief imaginal exposure therapy plus DCS pill
Intervention: D-Cycloserine
Placebo
Brief imaginal exposure therapy plus Placebo pill
Intervention: Exposure therapy
Placebo
Brief imaginal exposure therapy plus Placebo pill
Intervention: Placebo pill
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Clinician Administered PTSD Scale-IV
Time Frame: 6 month follow-up
A 17-item, semi-structured interview of PTSD symptoms. The range of scores is 0-136, with a higher value representing a worse outcome.
Secondary Outcomes
- PTSD Checklist(6 month follow-up)
- Beck Depression Inventory(6 month follow-up)