Conditions: Alcohol Dependence Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Keywords: alcohol dependence post traumatic stress disorder treatment prazosin
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 96
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Prazosin is an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist that has been used successfully in the treatment of trauma nightmares and sleep disturbance in combat veterans with PTSD, and alcohol dependence.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of prazosin (16mg) versus placebo in reducing alcohol consumption and decreasing symptoms of PTSD in patients with comorbid AD and PTSD.

Detailed description:
Background:

There is a high rate of comorbidity with alcohol dependence (AD) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The rates of PTSD among individuals with AD are at least twice as high as those in the general population. In addition, alcohol dependence is the most common comorbid condition in men with PTSD. Despite this, little is known about how to best treat individuals with comorbid AD and PTSD. The use of an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist represents a novel approach to treatment that may target symptoms of both AD and PTSD. There is evidence of common neurobiological mechanisms that underlie both AD and PTSD. Prazosin is an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist that has been used successfully in the treatment of trauma nightmares and sleep disturbance in combat veterans with PTSD, and alcohol dependence.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of prazosin (16mg) versus placebo in reducing alcohol consumption and decreasing symptoms of PTSD in patients with comorbid AD and PTSD. Methods: Thirty participants with a current diagnosis of AD and PTSD will be enrolled in a 13-week trial. They will be assigned, in a double-blind fashion, to either prazosin or placebo. Significance: This project will be the first to compare prazosin to placebo as effective treatments for reducing alcohol consumption and PTSD symptoms in patients with both AD and PTSD.

Arms:
arm 1: prazosin (16mg/day) arm 2: Placebo in identical looking capsule blister packs

Interventions: intervention 1: Prazosin intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: prazosin (16mg/day) 2 times a day intervention 2: Placebo

Protocol document: