About this trial
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects many people who have experienced traumatic events. A common issue with PTSD is severe sleep disturbances, such as nightmares. Current treatments often do not provide sufficient relief, especially for sleep problems. This study aims to determine whether dexmedetomidine - a medication already used in intensive care - can improve sleep quality in PTSD patients.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Male or female, aged ≥18 and ≤64 years (inclusive)
Diagnosis of PTSD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) for more than 6 months
PTSD diagnosis assessed with CAPS-5 (life-time) severity ≥ 2
Sleep disturbance, e.g., difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless sleep (Criterion E6 of the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD) is present for at least a month prior to screening and causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
Disqualifiers
Inability to comply with sleep-wake schedule related study requirements, e.g. due to crossing of time zones (≥ 2), extreme chronotypes, shift working within 2 weeks prior to the screening visit, or planned shift work during the study, self-reported usual daytime napping ≥1 hour per day, and ≥3 days per week
Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to insufficient understanding of the German language used in the study as evaluated by the investigator or anticipated problems with overnight stays at the sleep laboratory
Participation in a clinical research study involving the administration of an investigational or marketed drug or device within 30 days prior to the first dose; administration of a biological product (e.g. vaccines, blood components, gene therapies, tissues, etc.) in the context of a clinical research study within 90 days prior to the first dose; or concomitant participation in an investigational study involving drug or device administration
Post-menopausal (status defined as an absence of menses for at least 12 months prior to the first study drug administration); or
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- RE03
- Placebo
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
Reconnect Labs
Lead sponsor
University of Zurich
Collaborator