Antibiotic may dull painful memories in PTSD and addiction
NCT ID NCT05902819
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a single dose of the antibiotic minocycline, given before guided memory recall, could reduce the strength of intrusive memories in people with PTSD or cocaine use disorder. 138 participants took either minocycline or a placebo and then imagined a personal trauma or cocaine-related memory. Researchers measured changes in memory frequency, distress, and brain activity. The goal was to see if blocking a certain enzyme could help 'rewrite' troubling memories.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Minocycline (a common antibiotic) given as a single 200 mg dose before guided memory recall sessions
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to weaken traumatic or drug-related memories, easing symptoms of PTSD or cocaine cravings.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with no phase designation. The effect may be small or not last. Minocycline is generally safe but can cause dizziness or stomach upset.
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
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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138 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2023
- Finished
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Mar 2026
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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.
General Inclusion Criteria: * Ability to read, understand and provide written informed consent * Age between 18 and 60 years * To be sufficiently fluent in German Inclusion Criteria for the PTSD group: \- Current diagnosis of full PTSD according to the 5th version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), of subthreshold PTSD, as in meeting two to three of the DSM-5 criteria B-E, or of complex PTSD Inclusion Criteria for the CUD group: * Current diagnosis of mild, moderate, or severe CUD according to DSM-5 * Regular cocaine use in the last 12 months and at least one consumption event in the last 6 months Inclusion Criteria for the Clinical Controls (PTSD+CUD group): * Current diagnosis of full PTSD according to the 5th version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), of subthreshold PTSD, as in meeting two to three of the DSM-5 criteria B-E, or of complex PTSD * Current diagnosis of mild, moderate, or severe CUD according to DSM-5 * Regular cocaine use in the last 12 months and at least one consumption event in the last 6 months Exclusion Criteria for the HC, PTSD, CUD, and PTSD+CUD groups: * Women who are pregnant or breast feeding or intending to become pregnant during the course of the study or within 3 months after * Other clinically significant concomitant disease states, e.g., renal failure (i.e., estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; CKD-EPI) lower than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2), hepatic dysfunction (i.e., alanine transaminase (ALT) higher than 90 U/I for women or 110 U/I for men, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) higher than 74 U/I, and/or gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT) higher than 70 U/I for women or 120 U/I for men), cardiovascular disease, etc. * Presence or history of severe neurological disorders, head injuries or systemic/rheumatic disease * Diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or autism spectrum disorder according to DSM-5 * Pacemaker, neurostimulator or any other head or heart implants as well as MRI-incompatible metal parts or possibility of metal fragments in the body (MR safety) * Claustrophobia (MR safety) * Dependence on a hearing aid (MR safety) * Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g., due to language problems * Participation in another study with investigational drugs within the 30 days preceding and during the present study * More than three suicide attempts in the past, a suicide attempt within the last 12 months and/or acute suicidality Exclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls: * Any current psychiatric diagnosis according to DSM-5 except for mild or moderate substance use disorder (SUD) for nicotine, and mild SUD for alcohol and cannabis * Diagnosis of CUD according to DSM-5 (lifetime) * Diagnosis of PTSD according to DSM-5 (lifetime) Exclusion Criteria for both the PTSD and CUD groups: * Allergy to minocycline or to any other ingredient in the named drug * Current intake of the following medications interacting with minocycline: acitretin, acetylcystein, aluminiumhydroxid, amitryptiline, any antibiotics, antidiabetic drug such as sulfonylurea, atazanavir, atomoxetine, anticoagulant drugs from the coumarin type, barbiturates, bupropion, carbamazepine, ciclosporin A, isotretinoin, methotrexate, phenytoin, and theophylline Exclusion Criteria for only the PTSD group: * Diagnosis of CUD according to DSM-5 (lifetime) * Current diagnosis of severe SUD for nicotine, moderate SUD for alcohol and cannabis, and mild SUD for all other substances according to DSM-5 Exclusion Criteria for only the CUD group: * Diagnosis of PTSD according to DSM-5 (lifetime) * Current diagnosis of severe SUD for alcohol or cannabis, and mild SUD for all other substances (except for nicotine) according to DSM-5 Exclusion Criteria for Clinical Controls (PTSD+CUD group): \- Current diagnosis of severe SUD for alcohol or cannabis, and mild SUD for all other substances (except for nicotine) according to DSM-5
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich
Zurich, 8032, Switzerland
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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