This study is looking at how well a treatment combining Massed Prolonged Exposure (a type of talk therapy for PTSD) with a stellate ganglion block (SGB) works for military service members and retirees with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). An SGB is an injection of a local anesthetic, Ropivacaine hydrochloride (HCl) 0.5%, into a nerve cluster in the neck. Half of the participants will receive the Ropivacaine injection, and the other half will receive a sham injection of normal saline. The main goal is to see if adding the SGB improves the results of Massed Prolonged Exposure therapy. Researchers will measure changes in your PTSD symptoms using specific questionnaires at the start, and then at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. You can join if you are an active duty or retired military service member between 18 and 65 years old with a PTSD diagnosis and can speak and read English. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design

This is an interventional study planning to enroll 140 participants. It compares two groups: one receiving Ropivacaine injection plus therapy, and another receiving a sham injection plus therapy.

What's involved

You will attend ten 90-minute Massed Prolonged Exposure therapy sessions, with additional out-of-session assignments, for about four to six hours per day, Monday through Friday, for two weeks. Between the first and second therapy sessions, you will receive either the SGB or a sham injection. You will also have three booster sessions at 1, 3, and 7 weeks post-treatment, and assessments at various times up to 6 months after therapy.

Compensation

Not stated in the trial record.

Follow-up

Participants will be followed with assessments at 1, 3, and 6 months after completing the Massed Prolonged Exposure therapy.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.