RECRUITING

Ketamine, SGB and Combination Treatment for TBI

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) with associated headache are amongst the most common injuries sustained by our deployed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in more recent conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. This study aims to determine whether a procedural intervention (stellate ganglion block (SGB)) or medication (ketamine), alone or in combination, can alleviate PTSD and TBI-associated headache. Determining efficacious treatments in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study trial may improve quality of life in those with TBI and PTSD, and identifying factors associated with treatment outcome (personalized medicine) may enhance selection, thereby improving the risk: benefit and cost-effectiveness ratios. Primary Objectives: 1. To determine the efficacy of SGB and ketamine infusion as stand-alone treatments for TBI-related headache; 2. To determine the efficacy of SGB and ketamine infusion as stand-alone treatments for PTSD; 3. To determine the comparative effectiveness of SGB and ketamine infusion, and the effect of combination treatment on TBI-related headache and PTSD; 4. Exploratory Aim 1: To determine the effects of SGB, ketamine infusion, and the combination on structural and functional MRI, biomarker levels and pain thresholds and tolerance; 5. Exploratory Aim 2: To identify factors associated with treatment responders overall and for individual treatment groups. Secondary Objectives: 1. Exploratory Aim 1: To determine the effects of SGB, ketamine infusion, and the combination on structural and functional MRI, biomarker levels and pain thresholds and tolerance (Biomedical levels and MRI not included at Northwestern University Site). 2. Exploratory Aim 2: To identify factors associated with treatment responders overall and for individual treatment groups.

Official Title

Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Comparing Ketamine, Stellate Ganglion Blocks and Combination Treatment to Sham Therapies for Traumatic Brain Injury-Associated Headaches and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Quick Facts

Study Start:2025-07-02
Study Completion:2028-04-30
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT06608277

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:18 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:No
Standard Ages:ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. 1. Adults 18 years or older
  2. 2. Stable doses of medications for \> 2 weeks for TBI and/or PTSD
  3. 3. For TBI-associated headache with or without PTSD: HIT-6 score of \>/=53. For PTSD with or without TBI-associated headache: PCL-5 score \>/=33 OR. For those with TBI and PTSD, and a HIT-6 score \< 53 and PCL-5 score of \<33, individuals with a HIT-6 score of 50-52 and a PCL-5 score of 31 or 32 will be included.
  4. 4. Duration of chronic TBI or PTSD \> 3 months
  1. 1. Ketamine infusion or SGB within the past 6 months
  2. 2. Serious medical or psychiatric conditions other than TBI or PTSD that could affect cognition (e.g., dementia, Parkinson's Disease)
  3. 3. Elevated intracranial pressure
  4. 4. For TBI, prior history of headache that can explain the headache intensity (i.e., headache not attributable to TBI)
  5. 5. Active psychosis or poorly controlled non-injury or PTSD-related psychiatric condition (e.g., bipolar disorder)
  6. 6. Poorly controlled medical conditions that could be exacerbated by treatment (e.g., unstable angina)
  7. 7. Pregnancy (women of childbearing age who can become pregnant will have to take a pregnancy test)
  8. 8. Non-fluency in English (poor generalizability to military and veteran populations, instruments not validated for use or translated in many languages)

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Paul Fitzgerald, RN,BSN,MS
CONTACT
312-695-1064
p-fitzgerald2@northwestern.edu

Principal Investigator

Steven Cohen, MD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Northwestern University

Study Locations (Sites)

Anesthesiology Pain Medicine Center
Chicago, Illinois, 60611
United States
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20889
United States
Womack Army Medical Center
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 28310
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: Northwestern University

  • Steven Cohen, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Northwestern University

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2025-07-02
Study Completion Date2028-04-30

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2025-07-02
Study Completion Date2028-04-30

Terms related to this study

Keywords Provided by Researchers

  • Ketamine
  • Stellate Ganglion Block

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Posttraumatic Headache
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder