Measurement of Pituitary Volume and Hormonal Changes in Patients With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Completed
Conditions studied: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
In brief
Approximately, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in 8% of the adult population over time. Exposure to traumatic events increases the risk of poor physical health and often leads to disability. The biology of PTSD is continually being explored in order to help find better treatments for this debilitating disorder. In our study, we propose to further our understanding of PTSD. Prior research has found that patients with PTSD have changes in the stress hormone pathway. In this pathway, there is release of certain hormones from the pituitary gland in the brain that feed into the blood stream and tell the adrenal gland to produce stress hormones. The pituitary is a gland located at the base of the brain which controls the hormones in the body, including the stress hormones. Research in other psychiatric disorders has found changes in the pituitary volume along with changes in the hormones. This has not been investigated yet in PTSD. Therefore, we propose in our study to measure pituitary volume in people with PTSD and look at the changes in the stress hormone pathway. Moreover, we will investigate whether other hormones are affected by PTSD. In this way, we can further our understanding of the the biology of PTSD and help develop new therapies which can intervene through the hormonal system.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT00815204
- Run by
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- People needed
- 39
- Starts
- 2008-05-01
- Expected to finish
- 2014-07-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2015-02-04
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Age 18-80
- history of PTSD
You may not qualify if…
- Uncontrolled medical or psychiatric conditions Liver or kidney disease Use of anti-depressants or ketoconazole Use of steroids within a year of the study Use of drugs of abuse Pregnancy or nursing Metal implants Low testosterone states A history of head bleeds or pituitary tumors
Where it is running
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center — Los Angeles, California, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.