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The Efficacy of 90-Minute Versus 60-Minute Sessions of Prolonged Exposure for PTSD
NCT02720497 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
Objectives and Rationale: With up to 20% of U.S. service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD symptoms, a critical need exists for treatments that are both effective and efficient, enabling the greatest number possible to be treated to remission. As a highly efficacious treatment and the one with the most scientific support, Prolonged Exposure (PE) is recommended by the Institute of Medicine and being rolled out by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to help heal our war fighters' psychological wounds. A major barrier to that roll-out, however, is that PE is typically delivered in 90-minute sessions. This is difficult for military mental health providers, who because of large patient loads and pressure to see as many patients per day as possible, limit therapy sessions to 60 minutes. The primary aim of this randomized clinical trial is to determine whether PE sessions can be reduced to 60 minutes without compromising the treatment's high success rate. Preliminary evidence suggests that patients may greatly benefit from PE even when the time spent recalling and recounting the trauma memories during sessions (a key procedure called imaginal exposure) is shortened to fit into a 60-minute session. To test this hypothesis, the trial will enroll 160 San Antonio-area active duty service members who will be randomly assigned to receive PE treatment with 60- or 90-minute sessions. In an additional effort to learn more about how PE helps patients recover - and thereby gain insights to further enhance treatment benefit - the study investigators will examine what causes reductions in PTSD symptoms during PE by examining self-reported and physiological markers (e.g., heart rate reactivity) between the two treatment groups. Research Applicability and Impact: If PE can be shown to maintain high success rates with shorter sessions, more military clinicians could offer this powerful therapy, as it would fit within time constraints of their heavy workloa
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- BEHAVIORAL 60-minute Prolonged Exposure Therapy
- BEHAVIORAL 90-minute Prolonged Exposure Therapy
Study Locations (1)
South Carolina
- Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 160 participants |
| Start Date | 2013-09 |
| Est. Completion | 2021-03 |
| Phase | NA |
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Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT02720497
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT02720497 describes a study currently listed as completed. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 160 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is University of Pennsylvania, which has 1,457 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 2 conditions, with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 2 interventions — of which 60-minute Prolonged Exposure Therapy is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT02720497 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include South Carolina. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT02720497 about?
NCT02720497 is a clinical study titled "The Efficacy of 90-Minute Versus 60-Minute Sessions of Prolonged Exposure for PTSD". Objectives and Rationale: With up to 20% of U.S. service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD symptoms, a critical need exists for treatments that are both effective and efficient, enabling the greatest number possible to be treated to remission. As a highly efficacious treatment an...
What is the current status of trial NCT02720497?
This trial is currently completed. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 160 participants. The study started on 2013-09. Estimated completion is 2021-03.
What conditions does trial NCT02720497 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Combat Disorder. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT02720497?
The interventions under investigation include: 60-minute Prolonged Exposure Therapy (BEHAVIORAL), 90-minute Prolonged Exposure Therapy (BEHAVIORAL). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT02720497?
This trial is sponsored by University of Pennsylvania, which has 1,457 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT02720497 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across South Carolina. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
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