Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs. Sertraline in the Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Overview
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Intervention
- Sertraline
- Conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Sponsor
- NYU Langone Health
- Enrollment
- 39
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Salivary Cortisol Levels (Measured Before, During, and After the fMRI)
- Status
- Terminated
- Last Updated
- 4 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
This study will evaluate which parts of the brain are affected by treatment with behavioral therapy versus medication therapy in people with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Detailed Description
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event. PTSD symptoms may include emotional numbness, loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable, irritability, and sleep problems. Medication therapy, behavioral therapy, and a combination of both therapies are among the available treatment options for people with PTSD. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talking therapy that has been shown to be effective in treating PTSD, teaches patients how to alter their thinking to, in turn, improve how they feel. A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is a type of medication that has also been effective in treating PTSD. Information about the comparative physiological effects of each of these treatments on people with PTSD is needed. This study will evaluate which parts of the brain are affected by CBT treatment versus SSRI treatment in people with PTSD. Participants with and without PTSD will be enrolled in this 12-week, open label study. Following a screening visit to determine eligibility, participants with PTSD will be offered a choice of either CBT or SSRI treatment. Those participants who choose CBT will attend 16 therapy sessions. The first phase of therapy will focus on the development of emotional and interpersonal regulation skills. The second phase will use a modified form of prolonged exposure therapy, which has been effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. Participants who elect to receive medication will take sertraline, an SSRI that has been safe and effective in treating PTSD. These participants will attend 12 treatment sessions. Pre- and post-treatment fear response will be assessed in all participants using fMRI scans to measure brain responses and using saliva samples to test cortisol levels. All participants will also self-administer saliva samples at various points during the 3 days prior to fMRI scanning. Other outcomes will be assessed throughout the study using questionnaires. For information on a related study, please follow this link: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00648375
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •For people with PTSD:
- •Meets DSM-IV criteria for PTSD
- •Medically healthy
- •Right handed
- •Learned English prior to age 5
- •Agrees to use an effective form of contraception throughout the study
- •For healthy controls:
- •Medically healthy
- •Right handed
- •Has experienced a qualifying traumatic event
Exclusion Criteria
- •For people with PTSD:
- •Meets DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder within 6 months prior to study entry
- •Current suicide risk
- •History of DSM-IV diagnosis of any the following conditions: schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (including trichotillomania), or eating disorder
- •Meets DSM-IV criteria for substance use or dependence within the 6 months prior to study entry
- •Any substance abuse within 2 weeks prior to study entry
- •Score of greater than 22 on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) with depressive symptoms secondary to PTSD
- •Current participation in cognitive behavioral psychotherapy that is specifically designed to treat PTSD
- •Concomitant psychoactive medications
- •History of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or any disorder that causes chronic neurological problems
Arms & Interventions
Sertraline
Participants will receive treatment with sertraline
Intervention: Sertraline
CBT
Participants will receive cognitive behavioral therapy
Intervention: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Salivary Cortisol Levels (Measured Before, During, and After the fMRI)
Time Frame: Measured 3 days before and after treatment and 1 day during fMRI
Salivary cortisol levels (measured before, during, and after the fMRI)
Fear Response (Measured During the fMRI)
Time Frame: Measured on 1 day during two MRIs
Fear response (measured during the fMRI) in response to positive fearful and neutral stimuli
Secondary Outcomes
- Trauma History Inventory (THI)(Measured 30 minutes before and after treatment)
- Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV (CAPS)(Measured 30 minutes before and after treatment)
- Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV I and II (SCID I and II)(Measured 1 hour before and after treatment)
- Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)(Measured 3 times throughout study)
- Medical History 12 Months (MH)(Measured throughout study)
- Clinical Global Impressions Improvement Scale(Measured weekly throughout the study)
- The Social Adjustment Scale - Self Report (SAS-SR)(Measured 2 times throughout study)
- Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ)(Measured 10 minutes, before, during, and after treatment)
- General Expectancy for Negative Mood Regulation (NMR)(Measured 3 times throughout study)
- State-Trait Anger Expression (STAXI)(Measured 10 times throughout study)
- The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP)(Measured 2 times throughout study)
- Health Services Utilization Form-12 Months (HSUF)(Measured throughout study)
- Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI)(Measured 10 times throughout study)
- Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS)(Measured 2 times throughout study)
- Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS)(Measured 15 minutes before and after treatment)
- Clinical Global Impressions Severity Scale(Measured weekly throughout the study)
- Sociodemographic Questionnaire(Measured at baseline)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale-Self Report (PSS-SR)(Measured 10 times throughout study)
- The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)(Measured 10 times throughout study)
- fMRI Safety Information Checklist(Measured 2 times throughout study)