RecruitingPhase 2

Ketamine, SGB and Combination Treatment for TBI-associated Headache or PTSD

United States175 participantsStarted 2025-07-02

Plain-language summary

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.

Who can participate

Age range18 Years

SexALL

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Inclusion criteria

✓. Adults 18 years or older
✓. Stable doses of medications for \> 2 weeks for TBI and/or PTSD
✓. 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.
✓. Duration of chronic TBI or PTSD \> 3 months

Exclusion criteria

✕. Ketamine infusion or SGB within the past 6 months
✕. Serious medical or psychiatric conditions other than TBI or PTSD that could affect cognition (e.g., dementia, Parkinson's Disease)
✕. Elevated intracranial pressure
✕. For TBI, prior history of headache that can explain the headache intensity (i.e., headache not attributable to TBI)
✕. Active psychosis or poorly controlled non-injury or PTSD-related psychiatric condition (e.g., bipolar disorder)

What they're measuring

Headache Impact Test (HIT-6)

Timeframe: 4 weeks

PTSD Checklist (PCL-5)

Timeframe: 4 weeks

Trial details

NCT IDNCT06608277

SponsorNorthwestern University

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2027-12-30

Contact for this trial

Jordan Wood, BS

312-695-0915 jordan.wood1@northwestern.edu

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Posttraumatic Headache trials