A new approach to help veterans with anxiety and depression feel better and function more normally
Official title: A New Intervention to Improve Function in Veterans with Anxiety and Depression
Funded at Durham VA Medical Center · NIH-11310820 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new intervention using pregnenolone to help veterans with anxiety and depression reduce symptoms and improve daily function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Durham VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX004287-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310820 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans with anxiety and depression who may have co-occurring symptoms such as sleep disturbance or pain.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without these conditions or those unlikely to respond to neurosteroid-based treatment may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on a treatment that could help veterans who experience both anxiety and depression. It builds on prior work suggesting pregnenolone and related neurosteroids may ease worry, sadness, sleep problems, and pain. The study considers how restoring neurosteroid levels might translate into real-world improvements in daily activities, relationships, and quality of life. If successful, it could offer a new option that targets multiple symptoms at once. The research team at Durham VA Medical Center will pursue this approach with careful attention to safety and effectiveness in the veteran population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms and better function in daily life.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest neurosteroids like pregnenolone may help with anxiety, depression, sleep, and pain, supporting potential benefit in this population.
Where this research is happening
-
Durham VA Medical Center
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Naylor, Jennifer C — Durham VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Naylor, Jennifer C
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.