Cooperative Studies Program #563 - Prazosin and Combat Trauma PTSD

Status:	Completed
Conditions:	Insomnia Sleep Studies, Psychiatric
Therapuetic Areas:	Psychiatry / Psychology
Healthy:	No
Age Range:	18 - Any
Updated:	5/3/2018
Start Date:	January 6, 2010
End Date:	May 31, 2013

CSP #563 - Prazosin and Combat Trauma PTSD (PACT)

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating and disabling mental
disorder that afflicts at least 25% of Veterans who have suffered life-threatening war zone
trauma. Trauma-related nightmares and sleep disturbance are among the most
treatment-resistant PTSD symptoms in Veterans. Increased responsiveness to central nervous
system (CNS) norepinephrine (NE) contributes to the pathophysiology of overall PTSD and
treatment-resistant nighttime symptoms. Placebo-controlled pilot studies demonstrate that the
generically available CNS-active alpha-1 adrenoreceptor antagonist prazosin substantially
reduces PTSD trauma nightmares and sleep disturbance and improves global clinical status
(sense of well being and ability to function) in Veterans.

Objective: The primary objective is to demonstrate in a large multi-site placebo-controlled
trial in Veterans with war zone trauma-induced PTSD that prazosin is efficacious for PTSD
trauma nightmares, sleep disturbance, and global clinical status. A secondary objective is to
demonstrate prazosin effectiveness for these outcome measures during clinically meaningful
long-term (26 week) maintenance treatment of PTSD. The investigators will also address
prazosin efficacy and long-term effectiveness for improving total PTSD symptoms, comorbid
depression, quality of life, and physical functioning.

Methods: This 26 week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study is designed to
demonstrate both short term efficacy and long term effectiveness of prazosin for PTSD. The
research design encompasses a shorter-term, more tightly controlled efficacy component and a
longer-term, more .real world. effectiveness component. Three hundred twenty-six Veterans
with war zone -related PTSD and persistent trauma nightmares will be randomized 1:1 to
prazosin or placebo. Study drug will be increased using a flexible dose titration schedule
based on clinical response and adverse effects to an optimum maintenance dose (1-20 mg/day).
During the first 10 weeks of the study, participants will be randomized to prazosin or
placebo. Previous psychotropic medications and/or psychotherapy will be maintained constant.
Short term efficacy will be determined during the first 10 weeks. During the remaining 16
weeks of the 26 week trial, subjects will continue to receive stable-dose double-blind
prazosin or placebo, but will have the option to receive additional psychotropic medications
and/or psychotherapeutic interventions, as needed, per the judgment of the study Clinician
Prescriber. It is hypothesized that prazosin will remain more clinically effective than
placebo at the end of the 26-week trial, demonstrating that prazosin adds benefit
over-and-above other treatments that are naturalistically administered by providers in a
.real world. clinical setting.

Prazosin will be judged efficacious at 10 weeks if superior to placebo on all three primary
outcome measures assessing trauma nightmares, sleep disturbance, and global clinical status:
the Recurrent Distressing Dreams item of the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC).
Secondary outcome measures will assess prazosin effects on total PTSD symptoms, depression,
physical functioning, and quality of life. Adverse effects and cardiovascular measures,
including supine and standing blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) will be assessed.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Age >18 years.

- Exposure to one or more life-threatening war zone trauma events per the Combat

- Exposure Scale [78] and documented by Department of Defense (DD) Form 214, Combat
Action Ribbon (Marines), Combat Infantry Badge (Army), or other clear evidence of war
zone trauma exposure.

- Eligible for VA health care.

- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV diagnosis of PTSD
derived from the CAPS.

- CAPS total score >50.

- CAPS Recurrent Distressing Dreams item score >5 (of maximum score of 8).

- Capable of giving informed consent.

- Stable dose of non-exclusionary (see below) medications for at least 4 weeks prior to
randomization.

- Psychotherapeutic treatment stable for at least 4 weeks prior to randomization.

- Good general medical health (see Medical Exclusion Criteria below).

- Female participants must agree to use a reliable form of birth control during the
study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Medical:

- Acute or unstable chronic medical illness, including unstable angina, recent
myocardial infarction (within 6 months), congestive heart failure, preexisting
hypotension (systolic <110) or orthostatic hypotension (systolic drop > 20 millimeters
of mercury after two minutes standing or any drop accompanied by dizziness); chronic
renal or hepatic failure, pancreatitis, Meniere's disease, benign positional vertigo;
narcolepsy.

- Untreated sleep apnea, diagnosed by a sleep study, is exclusionary. Treated sleep
apnea (e.g., Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, surgery) will not be exclusionary.

- Allergy or previous adverse reaction to prazosin or other alpha-1 antagonist.

- Wounds requiring surgery, embedded shrapnel, and recent surgical amputation do not
comprise an exclusion if the individual is otherwise medically eligible.

- Women of childbearing potential with positive pregnancy test or refusal to use
effective birth control method, or who are breastfeeding will be excluded.

Psychiatric/Behavioral:

- Meets DSM-IV criteria for current schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychotic
disorder not otherwise specified (NOS), delirium, or any DSM-IV cognitive disorder.

- Exclusion for psychotic disorder is not to be confused with combat trauma-induced
reexperiencing symptoms (transient dissociative states or flashbacks), which will not
be exclusionary.

- Substance dependence disorder within 3 months or any current substance dependence
(stable methadone maintenance will not be exclusionary).

- Current cocaine or stimulant abuse.

- Severe psychiatric instability or severe situational life crises, including evidence
of being actively suicidal or homicidal, or any behavior which poses an immediate
danger to patient or others.

- Nonsuicidal depression comorbid with PTSD will not be exclusionary (see below).

Medications/Therapies:

- Current use of prazosin or other alpha-1 antagonist.

- Previous adequate trial of prazosin for PTSD.

- Subjects on trazodone will undergo a 2-week washout period before baseline assessment.
(Combining prazosin and trazodone may increase risk of priapism).

- Sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra) will be not be
permitted during the study dose titration period because of increased risk of
hypotension in combination with alpha-1 blockers. Following achieving stable dose of
study drug, sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil will be permitted at 1/2 the usual
starting dose.

- Stimulants or alternative medications with stimulant properties (e.g., ephedra).

- Recent exposure therapy and/or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming (EMDR).
These therapies must have been completed > 4 weeks before randomization.

- Other psychotropic medications and/or maintenance psychotherapy at a stable dose for
at least 4 weeks will not be exclusionary.

We found this trial at

sites

New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108

from

Albuquerque, NM