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Stellate Ganglion Block + Therapy for PTSD

Phase 2
Recruiting
Led By Alan Peterson, PhD
Research Sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up baseline and at 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up assessments
Awards & highlights

Summary

"This trial aims to see if combining Massed Prolonged Exposure therapy with a stellate ganglion block injection is more effective in treating PTSD in military service members compared to just the therapy with

Who is the study for?
This trial is for active duty and retired military service members aged 18-65 with PTSD, who can speak and read English. They must be eligible to receive care at a military treatment facility where the neck injection will take place.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study tests if adding a stellate ganglion block (a local anesthetic neck injection) to Massed Prolonged Exposure therapy improves PTSD outcomes compared to the same therapy with a sham injection.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
Possible side effects from the Ropivacaine injection include soreness or bruising at the injection site, dizziness, nausea, or numbness. The saline sham may cause discomfort but no medicinal side effects.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~baseline and at 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up assessments
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and baseline and at 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up assessments for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Change from baseline in Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale-DSM 5 (CAPS-5)
Change from baseline in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist -DSM 5 (PCL-5)
Secondary outcome measures
General Anxiety Disorder Screener - 7 Items (GAD-7)
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (PHQ-9)
Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI)
+7 more

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
Group I: Stellate Ganglion BlockExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
One time administration of a stellate ganglion block
Group II: Sham SGBPlacebo Group1 Intervention
One time administration
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Ropivacaine injection
2012
Completed Phase 4
~510

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioLead Sponsor
457 Previous Clinical Trials
91,461 Total Patients Enrolled
United States Department of DefenseFED
875 Previous Clinical Trials
329,846 Total Patients Enrolled
Alan Peterson, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorThe University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
2 Previous Clinical Trials
772 Total Patients Enrolled
~93 spots leftby Mar 2026