Key Points

Question How does stellate ganglion block compare with sham treatment in reducing the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms over 8 weeks?

Findings In this sham-controlled randomized clinical trial, 2 stellate ganglion block treatments 2 weeks apart were effective in reducing Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 total symptom severity scores over 8 weeks. The adjusted mean symptom change was −12.6 points for the group receiving stellate ganglion blocks, compared with −6.1 points for those receiving sham treatment, a significant difference.

Meaning Stellate ganglion block treatment warrants further study as a posttraumatic stress disorder treatment adjunct.

Abstract

Importance This is the first multisite, randomized clinical trial of stellate ganglion block (SGB) outcomes on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

Objective To determine whether paired SGB treatments at 0 and 2 weeks would result in improvement in mean Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) total symptom severity scores from baseline to 8 weeks.

Design, Setting, and Participants This multisite, blinded, sham-procedure, randomized clinical trial used a 2:1 SGB:sham ratio and was conducted from May 2016 through March 2018 in 3 US Army Interdisciplinary Pain Management Centers. Only physicians performing the procedures and the procedure nurses were aware of the intervention (but not the participants or assessors); their interactions with the participants were scripted and limited to the 2 interventions. Active-duty service members on stable psychotropic medication dosages who had a PTSD Checklist–Civilian Version (PCL-C) score of 32 or more at screening were included. Key exclusion criteria included a prior SGB treatment, selected psychiatric disorders or substance use disorders, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury, or suicidal ideation in the prior 2 months.

Interventions Paired right-sided SGB or sham procedures at weeks 0 and 2.

Main Outcomes and Measures Improvement of 10 or more points on mean CAPS-5 total symptom severity scores from baseline to 8 weeks, adjusted for site and baseline total symptom severity scores (planned a priori).

Results Of 190 screened individuals, 113 (59.5%; 100 male and 13 female participants; mean [SD] age, 37.3 [6.7] years) were eligible and randomized (74 to SGB and 39 to sham treatment), and 108 (95.6% of 113) completed the study. Baseline characteristics were similar in the SGB and sham treatment groups, with mean (SD) CAPS-5 scores of 37.6 (11.2) and 39.8 (14.4), respectively (on a scale of 0-80); 91 (80.0%) met CAPS-5 PTSD criteria. In an intent-to-treat analysis, adjusted mean total symptom severity score change was −12.6 points (95% CI, −15.5 to −9.7 points) for the group receiving SGB treatments, compared with −6.1 points (95% CI, −9.8 to −2.3 points) for those receiving sham treatment (P = .01).

Conclusions and Relevance In this trial of active-duty service members with PTSD symptoms (at a clinical threshold and subthreshold), 2 SGB treatments 2 weeks apart were effective in reducing CAPS-5 total symptom severity scores over 8 weeks. The mild-moderate baseline level of PTSD symptom severity and short follow-up time limit the generalizability of these findings, but the study suggests that SGB merits further trials as a PTSD treatment adjunct.

Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03077919