At a glance
ClinicalIndex Comparison RecordStandardized by ClinicalIndex from the ClinicalTrials.gov record · verify against the source.
Acupuncture for PTSD in Combat Veterans
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Procedure: Acupuncture and Procedure: Sham acupuncture for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Completed, enrolled 92 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
Current treatments for Veterans with PTSD include medications and therapy where the patient talks about traumatic events in order to desensitize to them. While these treatments work for many, a large minority of Veterans do not want medications or exposure therapy. The investigators developed an acupuncture (ACU) treatment for PTSD in order to broaden treatment options. The investigators' first study showed that it helped most people. However, the investigators need better scientific evidence that it works by comparing ACU to a placebo, such as "sham" acupuncture (fewer needles in non-important sites) and determining if ACU alters abnormal physiology in PTSD. In this study 90 Veterans will be randomly assigned (like a coin flip) to receive either ACU or sham. The investigators expect to find that the ACU treated patients have more improvement in PTSD and in physiology (less startle reaction - assessed non-invasively using skin sensors) than the patients in the sham group. This study will provide information to support the use of acupuncture for PTSD at the VA, which will expand treatment options.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
Acupuncture is a general term indicating the insertion and stimulation of needles at one or more prescribed points in order to effect the biology of the individual.
Sham acupuncture is a general term indicating the use of needles, whether inserted or not, at points on the body that are not expected to have a clinically significant biological effect.