Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an increased risk of developing
ischemic stroke. Veterans enduring PTSD face difficulties in managing their PTSD severity
after suffering from a stroke. Currently, clinical trials in PTSD exclude patients with
stroke and patients with significant premorbid psychological conditions like PTSD are usually
excluded from stroke clinical trials. Methylphenidate (MPH) is a central nervous system
stimulant that can improve PTSD symptoms: avoidance behaviors, social withdrawal,
hyperarousal, and working memory. MPH can also improve post-stroke outcomes: mood, activities
of daily living, and motor functioning. In clinical trials for PTSD or stroke, MPH has been
shown to be well-tolerated with minimal adverse events. The high prevalence of PTSD in
Veterans with stroke provides strong justification for development of interventions that
effectively and simultaneously target both conditions. The overarching goal of our proposal
is to understand how MPH improves PTSD severity in Veterans with comorbid stroke.