Can a Two-Drug combo rewire the PTSD brain?

NCT ID NCT05133804

Disease control Sponsor: University of Haifa Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 11, 2026 · Last updated Aug 12, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether combining two medications—reboxetine and methylphenidate—can reduce PTSD symptoms by improving attention and emotional regulation. Adults with PTSD will receive either the drug combination or a placebo for about a month, and researchers will measure changes in symptom severity. The study also explores how attention, sensory processing, and emotional regulation are linked in PTSD.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: A combination of two drugs: reboxetine (a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and methylphenidate (a stimulant commonly known as Ritalin), taken together to target attention and emotional regulation.
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could offer a new treatment approach for PTSD that specifically addresses attention and emotional regulation difficulties.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not be conclusive. The drugs can have side effects, and the combination may not prove more effective than placebo.

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 53 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2022

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

20 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * diagnosed with PTSD according to DSM-IV or DSM-5 criteria * current treatment at the outpatient facilities of Lev HaSharon Netanya Adult Clin * age between 20 and 60 years * PTSD diagnosis at least one month prior to study inclusion * no present-day re-exposure to the traumatic event * any psychotropic drug therapy that is being administered must be at a fixed dose for at least one month prior to the study conductance Exclusion Criteria: 1. comorbid major psychiatric disorder, e.g. psychotic disorder, unipolar or bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or active suicidal ideation, 2. ADHD diagnosis, 3. significant or severe systematic disease that limits normal activity, e.g. autoimmune disease, AIDS or renal failure, 4. cardiovascular disease, e.g. hypertension, atrioventricular (AV) block, bradycardia, or conduction disorder, 5. severe disease that is a threat to life, e.g. acute myocardial infarction, respiratory failure, or cancer, 6. nervous system impairment, e.g. multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, or stroke, 7. previous or current severe traumatic brain injury, 8. glaucoma, 9. impaired hearing, 10. pregnancy or breastfeeding during study inclusion, 11. active substance dependency including regular use of medical cannabis, 12. use of steroid medication in the two months prior to study conductance, 13. use of medication that may affect the function of the central nervous system, 14. failure to complete all research steps

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, inattentive type Emotional Regulation post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Posttraumatic stress disorder

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

3 sites. 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.

Open the record ↗
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.

Can a Two-Drug combo rewire the PTSD brain?

What the study statuses mean