Effects of Escitalopram on Autonomic Reactivity in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

April 30, 2019 updated by: SRIRAM RAMASWAMY, VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System

Effects of Escitalopram on Autonomic Reactivity in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF)

The study looked at relationship between escitalopram and heart rate variability and QT variability in veterans with PTSD.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The investigators are studying if taking escitalopram will normalize heart rate variability and a decrease (or no effect implying a lack of serious cardiac side effects) including QT variability in veterans with PTSD.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
26

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Nebraska
      • Omaha, Nebraska, United States, 68105
        • Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center

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.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

19 years to 55 years (ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Inclusion Criteria - Group I
  • Patients, men and women between 19 and 55 years of age, inclusive.
  • Patients with diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as determined by Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.).
  • Patients, who are able to comprehend and satisfactorily comply with protocol requirements and have an ability to read and write English.
  • Patients, who signed the written informed consent given prior to entering any study procedure.
  • Inclusion Criteria - Group II
  • Patients, men and women between 19 and 55 years of age, inclusive.
  • Patients with diagnosis of Major Depression as determined by Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). A diagnosis of PTSD will be exclusionary.
  • Patients, who are able to comprehend and satisfactorily comply with protocol requirements and have an ability to read and write English.
  • Patients, who signed the written informed consent given prior to entering any study procedure.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of cardiovascular disease or a history of hypertension.
  • Patients with a concurrent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis in any of the following categories as determined by the M.I.N.I.
  • Lifetime Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder
  • Lifetime Bipolar I Disorder
  • Substance Dependence or Abuse (excluding nicotine) within one month prior to the Screening Visit.
  • Patients with a history of intolerance or hypersensitivity to escitalopram or citalopram.
  • Patients who based on history or mental status examination have a significant risk of committing suicide. Current suicide risk (past month) will be assessed using the M.I.N.I. Suicidality Module. Subjects considered at high suicide risk based on the module (> 17 points) will be excluded from study participation.
  • Patients who are homicidal or violent and who are in the Investigator's opinion in significant imminent risk of hurting others.
  • Subjects will be excluded who have a history of significant medical illness and who are on medications that affect cardiac and/or autonomic function.
  • Female patients who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or if of childbearing potential, not using an acceptable method of birth control.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: PTSD Depression Group
Escitalopram 10-20 mg/day
Drug: Escitalopram
10-20mg daily for 12 weeks
Other Names:
  • Lexapro
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Major Depression Group
Escitalopram 10-20 mg/day
Drug: Escitalopram
10-20mg daily for 12 weeks
Other Names:
  • Lexapro

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
High Frequency Heart Rate Variability
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
Heart rate variability is the standard deviation of successive R-to-R intervals, or variability in time between successive heart beats. Spectral power in the high frequency (HF: 0.15-0.5 Hz) band reflects parasympathetic input, or cardiac vagal function. A natural log (ln) transformation was applied to heart rate variability data to derive the outcome measure.
12 Weeks
QT Interval Variability
Time Frame: 12 weeks
QT variability index (QTvi) is a measure of QT variability normalized to heart rate variability. Increased QTvi has been associated with increased sympathetic activity. QTvi was calculated using Berger's formula as the log ratio of QT variability normalized by the squared mean QT interval divided by heart rate variability normalized by the squared mean heart rate. QTvi is normally expressed as a negative value, and a less negative QTvi may reflect increased QT variability or reduced heart rate variability.
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Forest Laboratories

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 Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2008

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2013

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 5, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 5, 2011

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 6, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 7, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 30, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • RAM 6-7-2008

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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