Cortisol Suppression and Startle Responses in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

In brief

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in some people after exposure to events that cause extreme fear or helplessness. The incidence of war zones worldwide and the prevalence of violence in large cities in the U.S., increases the likelihood that people will experience a traumatizing event in their lifetime. About 1 in 10 people who survive such events will develop PTSD, while most people will get better over time. This suggests that some people may have biological vulnerabilities that make it harder for them to recover. One of these biological risk factors may be related to how stress hormones work in people who get sick. Another is how people react to things that make them afraid or nervous, investigators have found that PTSD patients have higher than normal fear reactions. The part of the brain that reacts to fearful stimulation is linked to stress hormones; the purpose of this study is to examine how these systems interact. The study will suppress stress hormones (cortisol) production in one group of participants, while another will get a placebo. When their cortisol is suppressed, the participants will undergo a startle study to see if their fear responses are decreased. Investigators expect that people PTSD will show a normal fear response when their cortisol levels are reduced, similar to people without PTSD. This research can help discover new medicines for people with PTSD.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01477762

Run by

Emory University

People needed

165

Starts

2011-11-01

Expected to finish

2015-07-01

Last updated by the study team

2017-04-18

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Able to give informed consent
• Willing to participate in initial assessment and 2 full days of interviews and imaging visit
• Able to understand English and no obvious deficit in comprehension or following directions
• 18-65 years old

You may not qualify if…

• Mental Retardation (per clinical judgment of study physician)
• Psychotic Disorder (per clinical judgment of study physician)
• Acute suicidal ideation
• Pregnancy
• Positive urine drug screen
• Active medical disorders contributing to psychiatric sx e.g. hypo or hyperthyroidism, SLE, advanced cirrhosis, etc. (per clinical judgment of study physician)

Where it is running

• Grady Health System — Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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