Written Exposure Therapy Plus Adjunctive Methylphenidate Treatment for Veterans With PTSD
Key facts
- Who runs it
- VA Office of Research and Development
- Where
- San Diego, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Phase
- Phase 2
- People taking part
- 138 people, planned
- Starts
- 1 Jul 2027
- Expected to end
- 30 Sept 2030
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Written Exposure Therapy (WET)
- methylphenidate (MPH)
- placebo (PBO)
- Record updated
- 29 October 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years to 65 years
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 29 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Veteran
- Current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms
- Medically healthy
- Body weight of ≥ 120 pounds (55 kilograms)
- Participants must be able to participate and willing to give written informed consent and to comply with the study restrictions
Who cannot take part
- Unable to abstain from alcohol the evening before or day of study drug administration
- Drugs of abuse as determined by a positive urine test, excepting THC
- Current use of any psychotropic medication that has not been at a stable dose
- Current or recent use of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor or any other medication deemed by the study physician to exhibit an unsafe interaction with methylphenidate (MPH)
- Participation in a clinical trial with an investigational drug or a device within 30 days prior to dosing
- Concurrent participation in an evidence-based behavioral therapy treatment for PTSD
- Medical conditions that could alter the absorption, metabolism or elimination of study drug
- Family history of sudden death or ventricular arrhythmia
- History of glaucoma
- History, including family history, of motor tic or diagnosis of Tourette's syndrome
- Lifetime history of a chronic psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder type I
- Lifetime history of stimulant use disorder
- Current moderate or severe substance use disorder for any other substances
- History of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting in loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes
- Current uncontrolled hypertension
- Major medical issues
- Pregnancy or lactation
- High suicidal risk
- Marked anxiety, tension, or agitation, based on clinical observation, that is not due to an outside identifiable, transient, or modifiable cause
- Past intolerance to methylphenidate (MPH) or any other psychostimulant
- Current heavy smoker and/or heavy caffeine consumption and unable to limit on study days
- Abnormal Electrocardiogram, per study physician
- Volunteers who are unable to understand the informed consent form(s) and complete the study procedures including clinical testing
- Any other reason, per study investigators, that would put the participant at undue risk or interfere with the conduct of the study per protocol
Check if you might fit
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 65 years old?
Where in United States
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CASan Diego, United StatesContact: Carl J Stepnowsky, Jr., PhDNot yet recruiting
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Many Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) do not fully benefit from the best current treatments, some of which focus on helping the brain regulate trauma memories. While therapies like Prolonged Exposure and Written Exposure Therapy work for many, about half of Veterans still struggle with symptoms even after treatment. Research suggests that methylphenidate (commonly known as Ritalin), a safe and widely used medication, may improve PTSD symptoms and related mechanisms. This project will test whether adding methylphenidate to Written Exposure Therapy will result in a greater reduction in PTSD symptoms compared to Written Exposure Therapy alone. The investigators will also study body and behavior markers to better understand how and why some Veterans respond to treatment. If successful, this approach could give providers a new, practical tool to improve recovery from PTSD. Ultimately, this work could lead to more personalized, effective care for Veterans, helping them return to fuller and healthier lives.
The 2 groups in the trial
- WET+MPHTreatment being tested
Written Exposure Therapy plus methylphenidate (MPH 40mg)
Treatment: Written Exposure Therapy (WET) and methylphenidate (MPH)
- WET+PBOExisting treatment, for comparison
Written Exposure Therapy plus placebo (PBO)
Treatment: Written Exposure Therapy (WET) and placebo (PBO)
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Enhancing Written Exposure Therapy in Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress: Clinical, Physiological and Behavioral Markers of Adjunctive Methylphenidate Treatment
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT07904000, who can take part
- Record updated
- 29 October 2026