Efficacy of Single Dose IV Hydrocortisone in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Prevention

Summary

This study is designed to test the hypothesis that a single Hydrocortisone intra venous injection within 6 hours post-trauma facilitates physiological recovery thereby preventing the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the months following the event. In the absence of such treatment (i.e., under placebo conditions), we hypothesize that a greater proportion of persons would develop PTSD (i.e., fail to recover from acute effects).

Timeline

Start

2009-04

Primary completion

2016-09

Completion

2016-12

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper Administration of hydrocortisone within 6 hours of the traumatic event was not effective in preventing PTSD compared to placebo. PMID 35678177 ↗

Publications

• Background Yehuda R, McFarlane AC, Shalev AY. Predicting the development of posttraumatic stress disorder from the acute response to a traumatic event. Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Dec 15;44(12):1305-13. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00276-5.
• Background Delahanty DL, Raimonde AJ, Spoonster E. Initial posttraumatic urinary cortisol levels predict subsequent PTSD symptoms in motor vehicle accident victims. Biol Psychiatry. 2000 Nov 1;48(9):940-7. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(00)00896-9.
• Background Yehuda R, Yang RK, Buchsbaum MS, Golier JA. Alterations in cortisol negative feedback inhibition as examined using the ACTH response to cortisol administration in PTSD. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2006 May;31(4):447-51. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2005.10.007. Epub 2005 Dec 20.
• Background Yehuda R, Brand SR, Golier JA, Yang RK. Clinical correlates of DHEA associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2006 Sep;114(3):187-93. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00801.x.
• Background Morgan CA 3rd, Southwick S, Hazlett G, Rasmusson A, Hoyt G, Zimolo Z, Charney D. Relationships among plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and cortisol levels, symptoms of dissociation, and objective performance in humans exposed to acute stress. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004 Aug;61(8):819-25. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.61.8.819.
• Background Delahanty DL, Raimonde AJ, Spoonster E, Cullado M. Injury severity, prior trauma history, urinary cortisol levels, and acute PTSD in motor vehicle accident victims. J Anxiety Disord. 2003;17(2):149-64. doi: 10.1016/s0887-6185(02)00185-8.
• Background Charney DS, Deutch AY, Krystal JH, Southwick SM, Davis M. Psychobiologic mechanisms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993 Apr;50(4):295-305. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820160064008. No abstract available.
• Background Schelling G, Briegel J, Roozendaal B, Stoll C, Rothenhausler HB, Kapfhammer HP. The effect of stress doses of hydrocortisone during septic shock on posttraumatic stress disorder in survivors. Biol Psychiatry. 2001 Dec 15;50(12):978-85. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(01)01270-7.
• Background Schelling G. Effects of stress hormones on traumatic memory formation and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder in critically ill patients. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2002 Nov;78(3):596-609. doi: 10.1006/nlme.2002.4083.
• Background Schelling G, Kilger E, Roozendaal B, de Quervain DJ, Briegel J, Dagge A, Rothenhausler HB, Krauseneck T, Nollert G, Kapfhammer HP. Stress doses of hydrocortisone, traumatic memories, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in patients after cardiac surgery: a randomized study. Biol Psychiatry. 2004 Mar 15;55(6):627-33. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2003.09.014.
• Background Schelling G, Roozendaal B, Krauseneck T, Schmoelz M, DE Quervain D, Briegel J. Efficacy of hydrocortisone in preventing posttraumatic stress disorder following critical illness and major surgery. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Jul;1071:46-53. doi: 10.1196/annals.1364.005.
• Background Lupien SJ, Maheu F, Tu M, Fiocco A, Schramek TE. The effects of stress and stress hormones on human cognition: Implications for the field of brain and cognition. Brain Cogn. 2007 Dec;65(3):209-37. doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2007.02.007. Epub 2007 Apr 26.
• Background Harvey BH, Brand L, Jeeva Z, Stein DJ. Cortical/hippocampal monoamines, HPA-axis changes and aversive behavior following stress and restress in an animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder. Physiol Behav. 2006 May 30;87(5):881-90. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.01.033. Epub 2006 Mar 6.
• Background Cohen H, Zohar J, Gidron Y, Matar MA, Belkind D, Loewenthal U, Kozlovsky N, Kaplan Z. Blunted HPA axis response to stress influences susceptibility to posttraumatic stress response in rats. Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Jun 15;59(12):1208-18. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.12.003. Epub 2006 Feb 3.
• Background Cohen H, Zohar J. An animal model of posttraumatic stress disorder: the use of cut-off behavioral criteria. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec;1032:167-78. doi: 10.1196/annals.1314.014.
• Background Cohen H, Matar MA, Buskila D, Kaplan Z, Zohar J. Early post-stressor intervention with high-dose corticosterone attenuates posttraumatic stress response in an animal model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Oct 15;64(8):708-717. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.05.025. Epub 2008 Jul 17.
• Bertolini F, Robertson L, Bisson JI, Meader N, Churchill R, Ostuzzi G, Stein DJ, Williams T, Barbui C. Early pharmacological interventions for prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals experiencing acute traumatic stress symptoms. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 May 20;5(5):CD013613. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013613.pub2.
• Carmi L, Zohar J, Juven-Wetzler A, Desarnaud F, Makotkine L, Bierer LM, Cohen H, Yehuda R. Promoter methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor following trauma may be associated with subsequent development of PTSD. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2023 Sep-Oct;24(7):578-586. doi: 10.1080/15622975.2023.2177342. Epub 2023 Mar 13.
• Carmi L, Zohar J, Weissman T, Juven-Wetzler A, Bierer L, Yehuda R, Cohen H. Hydrocortisone in the emergency department: a prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled posttraumatic stress disorder study. Hydrocortisone during golden hours. CNS Spectr. 2023 Aug;28(4):457-463. doi: 10.1017/S1092852922000852. Epub 2022 Jun 9.
• Bertolini F, Robertson L, Bisson JI, Meader N, Churchill R, Ostuzzi G, Stein DJ, Williams T, Barbui C. Early pharmacological interventions for universal prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Feb 10;2(2):CD013443. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013443.pub2.
• Zohar J, Yahalom H, Kozlovsky N, Cwikel-Hamzany S, Matar MA, Kaplan Z, Yehuda R, Cohen H. High dose hydrocortisone immediately after trauma may alter the trajectory of PTSD: interplay between clinical and animal studies. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011 Nov;21(11):796-809. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2011.06.001. Epub 2011 Jul 8.

Drugs

Indications