Does Propranolol Attenuate Inflammatory Responses to a Psychological Stressor?
Condition: Stress, Psychological; Inflammation; Cortisol; Sympathetic Nervous System
MeSH terms: Inflammation; Stress, Psychological
Intervention: Propanolol hydrochloride; Placebo
Intervention description: One-time dose of 40mg of propranolol; Outside casing matching that of active drug
Intervention MeSH terms: Propranolol
Phase: Phase 4
Study type: Interventional
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Enrollment: 92.0
Sex: All
Minimum age: 18 Years
Maximum age: 25 Years
Healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Summary:

      This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of propranolol will shed important
      light on how sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation influences psychological and
      inflammatory responses to acute stress. Results from this study will inform both the basic
      science literature that is attempting to map the physiological mechanisms by which
      psychological stress may lead to poor mental and physical health, and may also ultimately
      have therapeutic relevance for individuals who are experiencing high levels of stress that is
      putting their health at risk. Utilizing a psychopharmacological approach allows for the
      circumvention of many of the challenges of conducting this research in human populations, and
      will allow for conclusions regarding causality, given that SNS activation will be
      experimentally manipulated, rather than relying on correlational measures of SNS activity
      that are difficult to assess and are not appropriate for asking if SNS activity causes
      changes in psychology and biology.
    

Eligibility criteria:

        Inclusionary Criteria:

          1. Healthy volunteers

          2. Age 18-25

          3. Fluent in English

        Exclusionary Criteria:

          1. presence or history of chronic physical illness (especially disorders with an
             inflammatory component, such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, allergies, or issues
             that can affect the heart, including low-blood pressure or other heart conditions)

          2. presence or history of psychiatric illness (depression, anxiety)

          3. any current prescription medication use

          4. currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant

          5. engagement in a number of health--compromising behaviors that may affect levels of
             pro-inflammatory cytokines, including cigarette smoking, excessive caffeine intake and
             sleep disturbance (e.g., working night shifts)

          6. body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, given that adiposity is known to relate to
             baseline levels of inflammation

          7. anxiety about or previous history of problems with blood draws (e.g., fainting)

          8. any reported heart conditions

          9. history of fainting spells

         10. low pulse, as measured at beginning of session I (below 60)

         11. low blood pressure, as measured at beginning of session I (below 80)