Posttraumatic Stress Disorders in Police, Correctional Service Officers, and 911 Operators
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
Police officers, correctional service officers, and 911-operators are at increased risk for suffering from trauma-related disorders due to their direct and indirect exposure to life-threatening events, such as shootings, violent assaults, or car accidents, among others. Typical treatments for post-traumatic stress disorders include psychotherapy and pharmacological therapies (i.e., antidepressants). Although these interventions are effective for many sufferers, they all have limitations. Thus, the investigators propose to explore the usefulness of a new therapeutic technique, reconsolidation blockade, which involves reactivating the trauma memory while under the influence of propranolol. Objectives and hypotheses: To explore the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of reconsolidation blockade therapy as an adjunct treatment for trauma- and stressor-related disorders as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Mental Disorders-5. The investigators hypothesize that, compared to the control group, 5 weekly trauma-memory reactivations under propranolol treatment will confer a significant reduction in trauma-related symptoms and significantly more health-related economic benefits. Stress symptoms and health-related costs will be assessed at 7, 26 and 52 weeks after study inclusion. In this study, the investigators will also explore the effects of reconsolidation blockade with propranolol on various neuropsychological functions.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Phase 2 |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Propranolol Hydrochloride 1mg / kg of propranolol hydrochloride administered as a capsule 60 minutes prior to memory reactivation |
Drug: Propranolol Hydrochloride
1mg / kg of propranolol hydrochloride, oral capsule
Other Names:
|
| Placebo Comparator: Placebo Placebo manufactured as a capsule to mimic 1mg/kg of propranolol hydrochloride administered 60 minutes prior to memory reactivation |
Drug: Placebo
1mg / kg of matched placebo, oral capsule
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire with five-level scale [The weighted average of the questionnaire responses will be calculated over a 12 month period]
This questionnaire is a standardized instrument for measuring generic health status
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Post-traumatic Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders - 5th edition (PCL-5) [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 7, 26, and 52.]
Measure of trauma and stressor related symptoms
- Hopkins Symptom Checklist - 25 (HSCL - 25). [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 7, 26, and 52.]
Measure of depression and anxiety symptom severity
- Operational Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-OP) [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7, 26, and 52.]
Measure of severity of occupational stress
Other Outcome Measures
- Social Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ) [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7, 26, and 52.]
Measure of psycho-social functional
- Rey's 15-Item Memory test [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7 and 52.]
Measure of verbal learning and memory
- The Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale - III [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7 and 52.]
Measure of verbal learning and memory
- Trail Making Test [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7 and 52.]
Measure of mental flexibility
- Color-Word Interference Test of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7 and 52.]
Measure of selective attention
- Coding subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7 and 52.]
Measure of working memory
- Attention subtest of the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7 and 52.]
Measure of working memory, divided attention, and information processing speed
- D2 Test of attention [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7 and 52.]
Measure of selective and sustained attention
- Verbal Fluency Test [Change from baseline (week 0) to weeks 7 and 52.]
Measure of verbal ability and executive control
- Subjective Units of Distress Scale [Changes from week 1 to weeks 2, 3, 4 and 5.]
Measure of subjective distress from exposure to an event
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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Understands and reads French
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Currently or previously worked for the Quebec City Police Department, or the 911 dispatch for Quebec City, or another police department or 911 dispatch in the province of Quebec, or for the Quebec Ministry of Public Security as a correctional service officer
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Meets criteria for a trauma-and stressor-related disorder, such as: Acute Stress Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, Other Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorder, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 5th edition.
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The trauma-and stressor-related disorder must be due to a work-related event.
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A score of at least 4 (moderately ill) on the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity Scale.
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Participants who are currently taking a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (antidepressants) must accept to skip their morning dose on the days that they receive the study's intervention.
Exclusion Criteria:
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Systolic blood pressure < 100mm Hg (millimeter of mercury) at visit 0.
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Heart rate < 55 bpm (beats per minute) at visit 0.
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Medical conditions that contraindicate propranolol administration, as determined by the treating physician.
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Previous diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
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Previous adverse reaction or non-compliance with a beta-blocker.
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Medications that can have an dangerous interaction with propranolol.
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Fertile women who are not using an adequate contraceptive methods.
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Pregnant women.
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Nursing women.
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The following psychiatric conditions: past or present bipolar disorder, past or present psychotic disorder, present substance abuse or dependence, actively suicidal, past or present neurological disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder.
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas Mental Health University Institute | Montreal | Quebec | Canada | H4H1R3 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Alain Brunet, PhD., Douglas Mental Health University Institute
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- PRPL-007