Naltrexone Treatment for Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Pilot Study

Principal Investigators: 
Holly G. Prigerson, PhD
Sponsored by: 
NIH/NCI
Research Description: 

Co-Investigators: Jonathan Avery, MD; James Kocsis, MD; James Gang, BA

Research Description: There is a lack of effective pharmacotherapy for prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a new diagnosis recently included in the DSM. Evidence in the literature suggests that the neurobiology of PGD involves the same circuitry as the reward pathway. Based upon the evidence, we theorize that PGD might benefit from being treated with medications that are currently used to treat such disorders. This study will be a randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blinded, stage IV, single-site, pilot drug trial to establish the efficacy of using oral naltrexone as a pharmacological treatment for PGD. We hypothesize that participants receiving naltrexone will demonstrate reduced PGD symptoms when compared to placebo.

Research Type:

Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Research on End-of-Life Care 525 E 68th St, Box 39,
1414 Baker Pavilion
New York, NY 10065