Not Yet RecruitingEarly Phase 1

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Combined Cognitive Processing Therapy and Stellate Ganglion Blocks for PTSD

270 participantsStarted 2026-04-01

Plain-language summary

The purpose of this study is to understand if we can improve the treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We are looking into whether the combination of Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) treatment and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) can reduce symptoms of PTSD. CPT is a trauma-focused talk therapy that can help identify and challenge unhelpful trauma-related beliefs about oneself, others, and the world. It is known to be a highly effective talk therapy for PTSD. SGB treatment is a procedure involving an injection of local anesthetic into a bundle of nerves located in the neck that is part of the sympathetic nervous system which controls our body's response to stressful situations and blocks pain. The proposed project will systematically test whether combining CPT with SGB produces greater PTSD symptom reductions and functional improvements in the short- and longer-term up to 6-months follow-up compared to CPT (+Placebo) or SGB (+Daily Monitoring) alone.

Who can participate

Age range18 Years

SexALL

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Inclusion Criteria: * Are 18 years or older * Are fluent in English * Have experienced a Criterion A traumatic event during their lifetime * Have a PTSD diagnosis verified via the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 * Have not previously received a Stellate Ganglion Block * Have a smartphone that they can use for the entire duration of the study * Are willing and able to receive 2 injections (SGB or placebo) 2 weeks apart at the Rush Pain Clinic * Are willing and able to participate in daily Cognitive Processing Therapy or Daily Monitoring over the course of one week * Are willing and able to complete self-report measures and clinician-rated assessments at multiple time points over the course of the study Exclusion Criteria: * The traumatic event occurred in the past month * They are currently suicidal or homicidal (i.e., plan and intent) * They have unmanaged psychosis or mania * They have not been on a stable dose of psychotropic medication for at least one month by the time of the baseline assessment or are planning to change their medications within 3 months of starting their participation in the study * They have completed an evidence-based cognitive behavioral PTSD treatment (e.g., Cognitive Processing Therapy or Prolonged Exposure) in the past 3 months or are currently receiving an evidence-based PTSD treatment * They have an intellectual disability or significant cognitive impairment that would prevent them from engaging fully in treatment * They are curren…

What they're measuring

Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5

Timeframe: Baseline to 6 month follow up

PTSD Checklist for DSM-5

Timeframe: Baseline to 6 month follow up

Trial details

NCT IDNCT06570213

SponsorRush University Medical Center

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2029-12-31

Contact for this trial

Philip Held, PhD

312-942-1423 philip_held@rush.edu