Fluoxetine vs EMDR to Treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000379
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: November 3, 1999
• Last Update Posted: February 20, 2014
• Sponsor: Boston University
• Collaborator: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Information provided by: Boston University

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The purpose of this study is to compare two treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): fluoxetine (an antidepressant) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR, a psychological treatment in which the patient is led through the memory of a traumatic experience in order to heal him/herself).

There are a variety of therapies used to treat PTSD, but the effectiveness of medication alone vs an exposure treatment, such as EMDR, has not been tested.

Patients will be assigned randomly (like tossing a coin) to one of three groups for 8 weeks of treatment. Group 1 will receive fluoxetine; Group 2 will receive EMDR; and Group 3 will receive inactive placebo. Patients will then stop treatment and have evaluations, including psychological tests, at the time treatment is stopped, 8 weeks later, and at 6 months.

An individual may be eligible for this study if he/she:

Has PTSD and is 18 to 65 years old.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic	Drug: Fluoxetine; Behavioral: EMDR	Phase 3

Detailed Description:

To compare the short-term and long-term efficacy of two different treatment approaches in widespread use in clinical settings for treating patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): fluoxetine (which acts directly on biological systems) vs a psychological treatment, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). To clarify: 1) the differential treatment effects of these different treatment modalities; 2) whether symptom improvement is accompanied by changes in pathophysiology; and 3) the long-term effectiveness of these treatments.

In recent years a variety of treatment approaches have been shown to be effective in the treatment of PTSD. These include prolonged exposure therapies (PE), stress inoculation training (SIT), EMDR and psychopharmacological treatment with serotonin re-uptake blockers. While PE has been compared with SIT and a study is currently under way comparing cognitive-behavioral treatment with EMDR, no study as yet has compared the relative merits of pharmacotherapy alone vs an exposure treatment. While it is commonly held that, in order to recover, people with PTSD need to "process" their traumatic memories, treatments that do not involve the processing of traumatic memories (such as SIT or pharmacotherapy) may be just as effective. In clinical practice, many patients with PTSD appear to be effectively treated with pharmacological agents alone, without trauma-focused therapy.

Patients are randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 1) a double-blind psychopharmacological treatment (fluoxetine); 2) a manualized treatment which focuses on "processing" traumatic memories (EMDR); or 3) a placebo control group. After 8 weeks of active treatment, subjects are evaluated, cease treatment, and are assessed again after another 8 weeks and at 6 months in order to evaluate the long-term effects. Training raters remain blind to the subjects' treatment condition throughout the study. Treatment outcome is assessed with a multi-modal psychological and biological assessment battery including: 1) standard psychological tests for PTSD (CAPS); 2) neuroendocrine function (cortisol); and 3) psychophysiological response to traumatic scripts (pre-post changes in heart social and occupational functioning). Treatment adherence is monitored throughout the study.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Allocation: Randomized
• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Official Title: Treatment of Outcomes of Fluoxetine vs EMDR in PTSD
• Study Start Date: January 1999
• Study Completion Date: December 2003

Arms and Interventions

Outcome Measures

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

-

Patients must have:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Contacts and Locations

Locations

United States, Massachusetts

The Trauma Center

Brookline, Massachusetts, United States, 02446

Sponsors and Collaborators

Boston University

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

More Information

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000379
• Other Study ID Numbers: R01MH058363 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ); R01MH058363 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ); DSIR AT-CT
• First Posted: November 3, 1999
• Last Update Posted: February 20, 2014
• Last Verified: February 2014

Keywords provided by Boston University:

Adult; Comparative Study; Desensitization, Psychologic; Eye Movements; Female; Fluoxetine; Human; Male; Placebos; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Treatment Outcome; Desensitization, Psychologic -- *methods; Fluoxetine -- *therapeutic use; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic -- *therapy; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic -- drug therapy

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders; Fluoxetine; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors; Membrane Transport Modulators; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Neurotransmitter Agents; Serotonin Agents; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; Antidepressive Agents; Psychotropic Drugs; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 Inhibitors; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors; Enzyme Inhibitors