Stanford tests dream therapy under anesthesia for PTSD relief
NCT ID NCT06577636
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This Stanford study tests whether having a dream while under anesthesia can reduce PTSD symptoms. In a small Phase 2 trial, 42 adults with PTSD will receive either deep sedation to trigger dreaming or light sedation without dreaming. Researchers will compare changes in PTSD severity using a standard interview. The goal is to see if the dream experience itself provides therapeutic benefit.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- propofol anesthesia
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new, non-drug way to reduce PTSD symptoms using controlled dreaming during anesthesia.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial (42 people) testing a novel idea. It may not work better than light sedation, and anesthesia carries risks like nausea or rare complications.
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
-
About 42 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jul 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 70 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 Hide 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: A subject will be eligible for inclusion when all of the following criteria are met: 1. Male or female, 18 to 70 years of age 2. Able to read, understand, and provide written, dated informed consent prior to screening. 3. Diagnosed with PTSD prior to screening, according to the criteria defined in the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. The diagnosis of PTSD will be made by a trained study staff member and supported by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID). 4. Meet the threshold of CAPS-5 score of \>20 during screening. 5. In sufficiently good health to proceed with a low-risk elective procedure, characterized using the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification system as Class I or II. 6. If female, a status of non-childbearing potential or use of an acceptable form of birth control 7. Body mass index between 17-35 kg/m2. Exclusion Criteria: A potential participant will NOT be eligible for participation if any of the following criteria are met: 1. Female who is pregnant or breastfeeding. 2. Total CAPS-5 score ≤20 at either the screening. 3. Current diagnosis of a Substance Use Disorder (SUD; Abuse or Dependence, as defined by DSM-V) rated "moderate" or "severe" per criteria of the SCID, or Alcohol Use Disorder rated "moderate" or "severe" per SCID criteria. The following categories of SUD will NOT be excluded: nicotine dependence; alcohol or substance use disorder rated "mild"; alcohol or substance use disorder of any severity in remission, either early (3-12 months) or sustained (\>12 months) time frames. 4. Current diagnosis of Axis I disorders other than Dysthymic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobia, or Bipolar II Disorder (unless one of these is comorbid and clinically unstable, and/or the focus of the participant's treatment for the past six months or more) 5. History of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders, or any history of psychotic symptoms in the current or previous depressive episodes. 6. History of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or eating disorder not otherwise specified, within five years of screening. 7. Any Axis I or Axis II Disorder, which at screening is clinically predominant to their PTSD or has been predominant to their PTSD at any time within six months prior to screening. 8. In the judgment of the investigator, the subject is at significant risk for suicidal behavior during the course of his/her participation in the study. 9. A neurological disorder 10. A cardiovascular disorder 11. A pulmonary/respiratory disorder 12. Clinically significant liver disease 13. Clinically significant kidney disease 14. Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia, or other gastrointestinal disorder placing patient at risk for aspiration or that would merit categorization of patient as ASA Class III or higher 15. An endocrine disorder 16. Any other abnormal laboratory result at the time of the screening exam that in the view of the investigator poses a risk for participation in the study. 17. If, in the view of the participant's current primary mental health care provider this study poses a risk for participation (if a participant has a current mental health care provider). 18. Participation in any clinical trial with an investigational drug or device that conflicts with this trial, within the past month or concurrent to study participation.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Post-traumatic stress disorder are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The study's own enquiry address
This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Show contact details
Enter your email to view the contact information for this study.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Study contacts
-
Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
-
Stanford University
RECRUITINGStanford, California, 94305, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Five sessions to quiet trauma nightmares in bipolar disorder
- Can training hospital staff in Trauma-Informed care make childbirth safer?
- Scientists probe brain's reward system in mental illness
- Can a mindfulness class help veterans with concussion and PTSD?
- Can MDMA plus therapy help veterans fight both PTSD and alcohol addiction?
- Can a personalized mix of nerve stimulation and therapy rewire the brain for better mental health?