Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Hormone patch may reveal why some women develop PTSD after trauma

NCT ID NCT03973229

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Emory University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study investigates whether the hormone estradiol influences PTSD symptoms and brain activity related to fear and stress in women. Researchers will give some participants an estradiol patch and others a placebo before MRI scans that measure brain responses to threatening cues. The study includes women with PTSD, trauma-exposed women without PTSD, and healthy controls, all of whom are naturally cycling and not on hormonal birth control.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
estradiol patch
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a way to lower PTSD risk in women by timing hormone-based interventions.
What could go wrong
This is a very early-phase study with a small sample, so results may not apply broadly. The estradiol patch is used only briefly and may not produce lasting effects.

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

Early phase 1

The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.

Participants

127 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2019

Finished

Apr 2025

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

18 to 35 years

Sex

Female participants only

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: * African American women * A menstrual period within the past 60 days * Able and willing to give informed consent * Must have a smart phone and willing to install the Clue app Exclusion Criteria: * Women currently taking any form of hormone-based birth control or other hormonal supplement * Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding * Current psychoactive medication use * Nicotine use or smoking * Hypercoagulable conditions * History of embolism * Current symptoms of psychosis or bipolar disorder * History of major head injury or neurological disorder * Weight \>250lbs (a maximum weight to allow for participants to fit comfortably inside the bore of the MRI machine) and typical physical contraindications for MRI such as metal implants

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for PTSD are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

injury post-traumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Traumatic

As listed by the trial registrant

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

PTSD Trauma

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Grady Memorial Hospital

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.