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Old antibiotic tested as brain rescue for gulf war veterans

NCT ID NCT02983734

Symptom relief Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing whether a daily pill of d-cycloserine can improve memory and mood in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War who have Gulf War Illness. The study enrolls 22 veterans with cognitive symptoms and assigns them to take either d-cycloserine or a placebo for four weeks. The drug is thought to calm brain inflammation and adjust glutamate, a chemical involved in memory. Participants complete memory tests and mood questionnaires to see if the drug makes a difference.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
d-cycloserine, an antibiotic drug repurposed to target brain inflammation and glutamate signaling
What this could lead to
If it works, d-cycloserine could become a treatment for the memory and thinking problems that many Gulf War veterans live with, and it might point to similar approaches for other conditions involving brain inflammation.
What could go wrong
This is a small Phase 2 trial with 22 participants, so any hint of benefit could be a chance result that does not hold up in larger studies. D-cycloserine can cause drowsiness, dizziness, or mood changes, and it may not help Gulf War Illness symptoms at all.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

22 people

The number who actually took part.

Start date

Oct 2015

Finished

Sep 2019

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

43 to 85 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Veterans of the 1991 Gulf War, male or female * Physical examination and laboratory findings within normal limits * Willingness and ability to participate in the informed consent process and comply with study protocols * Symptom criteria: Meets Gulf War Illness criteria with the cognitive symptom domain being present. Veteran does not have medical exclusions for Gulf War Illness Exclusion Criteria: * Veteran lacks the capacity to provide consent during the informed consent process * Veteran has the one of the following medical exclusion conditions and/or has been active or received treatment within the past 5 years: Cancer (except nonmelanoma skin cancer), diabetes (not well managed), seizure disorder, heart disease (except hypertension), liver disease, kidney disease, Lupus, multiple sclerosis, stroke, chronic infectious disease, immune disorder/immunosuppression * Veteran has a history of a major psychiatric or central nervous system disorder that can affect cognitive function (ie. epilepsy, brain tumor, Parkinson's Disease) * Veteran has been hospitalized in the past 5 years for depression, PTSD, alcohol or drug dependence * Veteran has current suicidal ideation or current alcohol or drug dependence * Pregnant women, lactating women, women who are breastfeeding, or women of childbearing potential who are not using medically accepted forms of contraception * Veteran is active duty personnel

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Neuroinflammatory Diseases persian gulf syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Gulf war illness

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Boston University

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

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