Preventing the Development of Chronic Pain: Treating PTSD at Acute Pain Onset

NCT ID: NCT05700279

Last Updated: 2025-10-20

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 345 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2027-02-01

Brief Summary

Although most people recover from acute pain (such as pain caused by injury, surgery, repetitive motion, or unknown causes), many people do not fully recover and will experience chronic pain. Untreated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears to be a key risk factor for the transition from acute pain to chronic pain. However, few published studies have addressed the issue of preventing the transition from acute to chronic pain via PTSD reduction. This project will aim to test whether trauma-related PTSD symptoms can be reduced using either Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) treatment or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and whether reducing PTSD symptoms can prevent the transition from non-injury based acute pain to chronic pain.

Detailed Description

Untreated PTSD appears to be a key risk factor for the transition from acute pain to chronic pain. Thus, reducing PTSD symptoms during an acute pain episode may potentially decrease the likelihood of transitioning to chronic pain. CPT is an evidence-based trauma-focused cognitive behavioral treatment that is hypothesized to reduce PTSD symptoms via reducing negative trauma-related cognitions about oneself, others, and the world. SGB treatment is an injection of a local anesthetic into the stellate ganglion, which is a bundle of nerves located at the base of the neck that is part of the sympathetic nervous system. Previous studies suggest that 1-week massed CPT and SGB treatment can both reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms in short periods of time via two distinct psychological and biological mechanisms.

This 4 year project will test study hypotheses in a sample of 345 individuals with PTSD symptoms who present to the presenting to the Rush University Medical Center ED or Rush's Primary Care and Preventive Medicine group with non-injury based acute pain. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive 1-week massed CPT, 2 SGB treatments, or usual care. All participants will complete identical self-report and/or clinician administered assessments at baseline (prior to randomization) and on study days 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 56 (approximately 3 months after the initial ED presentation or Presentation to Preventive Medicine), and 112 (approximately 6 months after ED presentation or presentation to Preventive Medicine).

Conditions

PTSD; Chronic Pain

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Stellate Ganglion Block Treatment

Participants randomly assigned to the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) condition will receive 2 SGB treatments separated by 2 weeks.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Stellate Ganglion Block

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) procedure involves an injection of a local anesthetic (0.5% ropivacaine) around the stellate ganglion (a bundle of nerves located at the base of the neck) to block the transmission of pain signals. The SGB injection is administered by an anesthesiologist.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Participants randomly assigned to the Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) condition will receive 1-week massed CPT treatment consisting of 10 CPT sessions given within a single 5-day period via telehealth.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a form of trauma-based talk therapy that will be conducted by clinical therapists. CPT can help people identify and challenge unhelpful trauma-related beliefs about themselves, others, and the world.

Usual Care

Participants randomly assigned to the Usual Care condition will not receive any active intervention.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Stellate Ganglion Block

Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) procedure involves an injection of a local anesthetic (0.5% ropivacaine) around the stellate ganglion (a bundle of nerves located at the base of the neck) to block the transmission of pain signals. The SGB injection is administered by an anesthesiologist.

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a form of trauma-based talk therapy that will be conducted by clinical therapists. CPT can help people identify and challenge unhelpful trauma-related beliefs about themselves, others, and the world.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age 18 to 70 years

2. Ability to read and write English sufficiently to understand and complete study questionnaires and participate in interviews

3. Presenting to the Rush ED with acute pain without debilitating trauma

4. A primary acute pain site

5. Self-reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of PTSD

6. People with well-controlled diabetes or HIV/AIDS with chronic neuropathic pain will be included if their acute pain complaint at ED presentation is not due to neuropathic pain

7. Individuals with a history of psychotic or bipolar disorder that is currently well managed, have been treated for the condition for at least 3 months, are able to coherently answer interview questions, and are judged by study staff to be capable of participating in study

8. Current chronic illness that involves constant or frequent pain if their acute pain complaint at ED presentation is not due to the chronic illness. (case-by-case basis)

9. Current chronic pain from various sources if their acute pain complaint at ED presentation is not related to their current chronic pain. (case-by-case basis)

Exclusion Criteria

1. Pain intensity great enough to impair concentration or capacity to understand instructions or the nature of being invited into a study as assessed by a member of the medical staff

2. Any injury or illness that precludes their ability to understand or follow instructions as assessed by a member of the medical staff

3. Self-reported history of chronic pain on presentation to the ED or documented in the electronic medical record (case-by-case basis)

4. Pain from traumatic event that is the source of their PTSD

5. Neurological disorder

6. Blood pressure greater than 160/100 mmHg

7. Taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs other than aspirin

8. Pregnancy

9. Current alcohol or substance dependence

10. Anything that precludes interventions from being successful.

11. We will exclude people who are being treated for chronic or significant diseases such as rheumatoid disease, current influenza that may manifest temporary flu- related pain, and heart disease.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 70 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

United States Department of Defense

FED

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Rush University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

John W Burns, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Rush University Medical Center

Locations

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

John W Burns, PhD

Role: CONTACT

john_burns@rush.edu

312-942-0379

Facility Contacts

John W Burns, PhD

Role: primary

john_burns@rush.edu

312-942-0379

Provided Documents

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

21092002

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id