Enhancing Prolonged Exposure With Cannabidiol to Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05132699 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : November 24, 2021
Last Update Posted : May 9, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic | Drug: Cannabidiol (CBD) oral solution Drug: Placebo Behavioral: Massed Prolonged Exposure (mPE) | Phase 1 Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 28 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | A double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial. Permuted block randomization will ensure equal allocation of participants to either study drug or placebo. Randomization will be performed by a designated study team member. |
Masking: | Double (Participant, Investigator) |
Masking Description: | A compounding pharmacy will supply both the study drug and a matching strawberry flavored liquid. |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Enhancing Prolonged Exposure With Cannabidiol to Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study |
Actual Study Start Date : | April 4, 2022 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | January 2023 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | June 2023 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Active Comparator: Cannabidiol (CBD)
Epidiolex oral solution 500mg (5ml) per day
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Drug: Cannabidiol (CBD) oral solution
An oral strawberry flavored liquid, taken as a 2.5ml (250mg) dose twice a day
Other Name: Epidiolex Behavioral: Massed Prolonged Exposure (mPE) mPE, delivered daily Monday through Friday over two weeks, utilizes exposure-based interventions to target psychological mechanisms (i.e., experiential and behavioral avoidance; maladaptive cognitive changes) that are thought to maintain trauma-related symptoms.
Other Name: Behavioral Therapy |
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Placebo oral solution 5ml per day
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Drug: Placebo
An inert strawberry flavored oral solution, taken as a 2.5ml dose twice a day
Other Name: Placebo oral solution Behavioral: Massed Prolonged Exposure (mPE) mPE, delivered daily Monday through Friday over two weeks, utilizes exposure-based interventions to target psychological mechanisms (i.e., experiential and behavioral avoidance; maladaptive cognitive changes) that are thought to maintain trauma-related symptoms.
Other Name: Behavioral Therapy |
- Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) [ Time Frame: Baseline and at about 45 days (1 month follow-up visit) ]The CAPS-5 is structured interview that assesses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders v5 (DSM-5) criteria for PTSD. Each item is rated on a severity scale ranging from 0 (Absent) to 4 (Extreme/incapacitating) and combines information about frequency and intensity for each of the 20 symptoms.Subscale scores are calculated by summing severity scores for items in the following PTSD symptom clusters: re-experiencing, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and hyperarousal. Scores ≥ 25 indicate a probable diagnosis of PTSD. Change in score will be reported.
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) [ Time Frame: Baseline, Day 4, Day 8, Day 15 and at about 45 days (1 month follow-up visit) ]The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report measure update of the PCL designed to assess PTSD symptoms as defined by the DSM-5. The PCL-5 evaluates how much participants have been bothered by PTSD symptoms in the past week (for all assessments during treatment) or the past two weeks (all other assessment time points) as a result of a specific life event. Each item of the PCL-5 is scored on a five-point scale ranging from 0 "not at all") to 4 ("extremely). Scores range from 0 to 80 with a higher score indicating that subjects have been bothered more by PTSD symptoms. Change in score will be reported.
- Depressive Symptoms Index-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS) [ Time Frame: Baseline, Day 4, Day 8, Day 15 and at about 45 Days (1 month follow-up visit) ]The DSI-SS is a 4-item self-report measure of suicidal ideation that focuses on ideation, plans, perceived control over ideation, and impulses for suicide. Scores on each item range from 0 to 3, with higher scores reflecting greater severity of suicidal ideation. Total scores range from 0-12. Change in score will be reported.
- Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) [ Time Frame: Baseline, Day 4, Day 8, Day 15 and at about 45 Days (1 month follow-up visit) ]It consists of 9 items that assess both affective and somatic symptoms related to depression and depressive disorders; these 9 items correspond to the diagnostic criteria for Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Major Depressive Disorder (DSM MDD). Respondents rate the frequency with which they have been bothered by depressive symptoms within the past two weeks on a scale ranging from 0 ("not at all") to 3 ("nearly every day"). Scores on all items are summed to obtain a total severity score between 0 and 27. Scores reflect no significant depressive symptoms (0-4), mild depressive symptoms (5-9), moderate depressive symptoms (10-14), moderately severe depressive symptoms (15-19), and severe depressive symptoms (>19). Change in score is reported.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) [ Time Frame: Baseline, Day 4, Day 8, Day 15 and at about 45 Days (1 month follow-up visit) ]This is a 7-item measure that asks participants to rate the frequency with which they have been bothered by anxiety symptoms within the past two weeks on a scale ranging from 0 ("not at all") to 3 ("nearly every day"). Scores on all items are summed to obtain a total severity score ranging from 0-21. Scores reflect no significant anxiety symptoms (0-4), mild anxiety symptoms (5-9), moderate anxiety symptoms (10-14), and severe anxiety symptoms (>15). Change in score is reported.
- Brief Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning (BIPF) [ Time Frame: Baseline and at about 45 days (1 month follow-up visit) ]The BIPF is a 7-item self-report instrument measuring respondents' level of functioning in seven life domains: romantic relationship, relationship with children, family relationships, friendships and socializing, work, training and education, and activities of daily living. Respondents indicate the degree to which they had trouble in the last 30 days in each area on a 7-point scale ranging from "0 = Not at all" to "6 = Very much. Total scores range from 0 - 42 with a lower score indicating that the participants is less functional in these domains. Change in total score is reported.
- Veterans Rand 12-Item Heath Survey (VR-12) [ Time Frame: Baseline and at about 45 days (1 month follow-up visit) ]
The questions in this survey correspond to seven different health domains: general health perceptions, physical functioning, role limitations due to physical and emotional problems, bodily pain, energy/fatigue levels, social functioning and mental health in the past 30 days. Items are summarized into two component scores, a Physical Component Score (PCS) and a Mental Component Score (MCS). VR-12 scores are standardized using a T-score metric with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10 with higher scores indicative of better health.
Change in component scores is reported.
- Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) [ Time Frame: Baseline and at about 45 days (1 month follow-up visit) ]A 7-item self-report measure that assesses perceived severity of insomnia. Each item uses a 4-point Likert type scale from 0 (not at all satisfied) to 4 (very much satisfied). The items sum to produce a total score (range 0 - 28) with a higher score indicating less insomnia. Change in total score will be reported.
- Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI). [ Time Frame: Baseline, Day 4, Day 8, Day 15 and at about 45 Days (1 month follow-up visit) ]The PTCI is a 36-item questionnaire that was developed to determine how an individual views the trauma and its sequelae in an attempt to understand both how PTSD develops and is maintained. The scale uses 3 subscales, Negative cognition about self (21 items), Negative cognition about the World (7 items) and Self blame (5 items). A total score is obtained by adding the 3 scores to give a possible score of 0 - 33. Items 13, 32 and 34 are experimental and not included in the subscales. A higher score implies greater negativity. A change in score will be reported.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Individuals between the age of 18 to 65 years old at time of screening.
- Able to write, read, and speak English
- PTSD diagnosis as assessed by Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Scale (CAPS-5)
- Stable medication regimen for at least four weeks prior to the onset of study participation.
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, or cannabis abuse as determined by the National Institute of Drug Abuse Quick Screen (NIDA-Q).
- Currently using opiates, cocaine, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, or cannabis as evidenced by a positive urine drug screen prior to enrollment.
- Currently pregnant as determined by a positive urine pregnancy test prior to enrollment.
- Current clinically significant alcohol abuse in the past two weeks on the Quick Drinking Screen (QDS).
- Currently breastfeeding.
- Ongoing illness or physical health problem(s) that may be exacerbated by CBD (e.g., history of liver problems)
- History of significant allergic condition, significant drug-related hypersensitivity, or allergic reaction to cannabinoids.
- Concomitant medications with possible CBD-drug interactions
- Alanine transaminase (ALT) or Aspartate transaminase (AST) enzyme levels 3x normal limits.
- Concurrent engagement in trauma-related psychotherapy for PTSD.
- Current or past DSM-5 diagnosis of psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder as determined on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI 7.0).
- Suicide attempt in the last year and/or suicide risk requiring immediate intervention or requiring a higher level of care than can be provided by the study treatment as determined by the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SIT-BI).
- Allergy to sesame seed oil.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT05132699
Contact: Casey Straud, PsyD | 210-562-6742 | straud@uthscsa.edu | |
Contact: Anna L Gonzalez, BA | 210-563-6734 | gonzaleza4@uthscsa.edu |
United States, Texas | |
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio - STRONG STAR Northwest Center | Recruiting |
San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78229 | |
Contact: Casey L Straud, PsyD 210-562-6742 straud@uthscsa.edu | |
Contact: Bill L Murff, BS 210-562-5402 murff@uthscsa.edu |
Principal Investigator: | Casey Straud, PsyD | University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio |
Responsible Party: | Casey Straud, Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT05132699 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
HSC20210711H UL1TR002645 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) KL2TR002646 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) |
First Posted: | November 24, 2021 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | May 9, 2022 |
Last Verified: | May 2022 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | A STRONG STAR Institutional Review board (IRB) approved Repository to enable the STRONG STAR Consortium to store specimens and data for future use. Study databases are established and maintained by the STRONG STAR Data and Statistics Services. All Repository data will be identified with a different code number that can be cross linked to the original study code only through records maintained by the STRONG STAR Data and Statistics Services. At the conclusion of this study, participants who signed the consent to have their data placed in the STRONG STAR Repository will be maintained under the UT Health San Antonio IRB-approved Repository protocol. For participants who decline participation in the STRONG STAR Repository, their data will be de-identified, and the data maintained in the Repository without identifiers. Summary results will also be shared on ClincalTrials.gov. |
Supporting Materials: |
Study Protocol Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) |
Time Frame: | After study enrollment is closed and data analysis is complete. Data will be stored in the repository and accessible as long as the IRB approval for this data base remains current. |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.: | Yes |
Disease Stress Disorders, Traumatic Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Pathologic Processes Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders |
Mental Disorders Cannabidiol Pharmaceutical Solutions Anticonvulsants |