A Pilot Study Of Riluzole In Patients With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Inclusion Criteria:

- Male or female subjects between the ages of 18-75 years;

- Able to provide written informed consent;

- Current Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as determined by the Clinician Administered
Scale for PTSD, or the presence of sub-threshold PTSD. Individuals with sub-threshold
PTSD will be included at the discretion of the PI;

- Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) score of 23 or higher;

- Be able to understand and speak English.

- Subjects taking FDA-approved antidepressant medications may enter the study if they
have been on a stable dose for at least 4 weeks prior to starting the study drug.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Breastfeeding women and pregnant women, or women of child bearing potential who are
not using a medically accepted means of contraception (to include oral, injectable, or
implant birth control, condom, diaphragm with spermicide, intrauterine device, tubal
ligation, abstinence, or partner with vasectomy);

- Current, ongoing serious suicidal risk as assessed by evaluating investigator or by
scoring 5 or more on the item-10 of the MADRS.

- Unstable medical illness as determined by the investigator;

- Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders (current or past);

- Substance use disorder during the 3 months prior to screening; except for Cannabis and
Alcohol use Disorders.

- Clinical evidence of untreated hypothyroidism;

- Patients with any evidence of clinically significant liver abnormalities, or any liver
transaminase level > 1.5 x ULN at initial screening, or > 5 x ULN during treatment;

- Axis II personality disorders that are the primary purpose of treatment, or would
interfere with a patient's safety or compliance, as determined by the investigator
during open-ended psychiatric interview;

- Patients currently being treated for a respiratory disorder (including asthma or
COPD);

- For participants over the age of 60, evidence of dementia as determined by the St.
Luis University Mental Status Exam (SLUMS; participants with total scores less than or
equal to 20 will be excluded and referred to their Primary Care Physician for
follow-up/dementia evaluation); Structured psychotherapy focused on treatment of PTSD
is exclusionary unless the subject has had at least 8 weeks of treatment prior to
starting the study medication;