Three Prospective Case Studies Examining Mifepristone's Efficacy in Patients with Treatment-Resistant PTSD
Abstract
Despite the availability of various treatment approaches for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), some patients do not respond to these therapies, and novel treatment approaches are needed. This study investigated the efficacy of mifepristone, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, in treatment-resistant PTSD patients. Three patients with PTSD who were resistant to standard psychological and pharmacological treatments were prescribed mifepristone (600–1,200 mg/day) for 1 week. A baseline-controlled single-case design was used, involving a 2-week baseline phase (no intervention), a 1-week intervention phase (mifepristone), and a 2-week postintervention phase. The primary outcome measure, self-reported PTSD symptom severity (PCL-5), was assessed daily, with participants providing their own control condition. Two of the three patients experienced a significant reduction in PTSD symptom severity after the intervention phase and no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. These positive results were maintained during long-term follow-up. These findings support the potential effectiveness of mifepristone in the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant PTSD. However, our findings must be interpreted with caution, and further studies with larger sample sizes and more rigorous designs are necessary to confirm the promising results.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Ferulic acid regulates the AKT/GSK-3β/CRMP-2 signaling pathway in a middle cerebral artery occlusion animal model
- Novel Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Parameters Quantify the Exposure–Effect Relationship of Levofloxacin against Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Escherichia coli
- Photochemical behavior of levofloxacin
- Correlation Between Dissolution Profiles of Salt-Form Drugs in Biorelevant Bicarbonate Buffer and Oral Drug Absorption: Importance of Dose/ Fluid Volume Ratio
- Evaluation of the synergistic potential and mechanisms of action for de novo designed cationic antimicrobial peptides
- Synthesis of [11C]levofloxacin
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.