Clinical trial NCT00703885: PharmacofMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of Anxiolytic Medications (Alprazolam)
Official title: PharmacofMRI of Anxiolytic Medications (Alprazolam)
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE4
Conditions: Anxiety Disorders
Keywords: functional magnetic resonance imaging
fMRI
alprazolam
anxiety disorders
Lead sponsor: University of California, San Diego
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
First posted: 2008-06-24
Enrollment: 16
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 30
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Primary purpose: DIAGNOSTIC

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy controls to examine the acute effects of certain anxiolytic medications on brain function.

Detailed description: Increased amygdala and insula activity have been implicated in neurobiological models of anxiety. Using fMRI, the anxiolytic medication, lorazepam, has previously been found to decrease activation in these areas during the processing of emotional stimuli. This study aims to replicate those results but by using a different medication, alprazolam. An eventual aim of this study, in combination with future studies, is to evaluate the utility of fMRI as a tool to identify anxiolytic function in both established and novel compounds that may be used to treat anxiety.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Male, or female (not pregnant or intending to become pregnant during the study)
* Between the ages of 18-30.
* In good general health.
* No specific contraindications to the drug being administered

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects with a history of DSM-IV depressive disorder, psychotic disorder, anxiety disorder
* Subjects who meet criteria for substance abuse or dependence within the last 6 months
* Subjects with an positive urine screen for illicit drugs
* having clinically significant abnormal laboratory, ECG or physical examination findings not resolved by the baseline visit
* Patients who have taken psychotropic drugs or antidepressants (including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, MAOI's) within the last year
* subject is left-handed.
* The subject suffers from claustrophobia, or phobia for injections or blood.
* Magnetic Resonance Imaging related exclusion criteria: cardiac pacemaker, metal fragments in eyes/skin/body (shrapnel), subjects who have ever been a metal worker/welder; history of eye surgery/eyes washed out because of metal, aortic/aneurysm clips, prosthesis, by-pass surgery/coronary artery clips, hearing aid, heart valve replacement, subjects who are in the first trimester of pregnancy, subjects with an I.U.D. (birth control device), a shunt (ventricular or spinal), electrodes, metal plates/pins/screws/wires, or neuro/bio-stimulators (TENS unit).

Primary outcomes:
measure: Effect of Alprazolam Versus Placebo on BOLD fMRI During Emotion Processing
timeFrame: Same Day
measure: Voxelwise Brain Imaging Data
timeFrame: Post-Rx Administration
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: La Jolla
country: United States
facility: University of California, San Diego
state: California
Study officials:
affiliation: University of California, San Diego
name: Murray B Stein, MD, MPH
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Simmons AN, Arce E, Lovero KL, Stein MB, Paulus MP. Subchronic SSRI administration reduces insula response during affective anticipation in healthy volunteers. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2009 Sep;12(8):1009-20. doi: 10.1017/S1461145709990149. Epub 2009 Jun 23.
citation: Aupperle RL, Ravindran L, Tankersley D, Flagan T, Stein NR, Simmons AN, Stein MB, Paulus MP. Pregabalin influences insula and amygdala activation during anticipation of emotional images. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2011 Jun;36(7):1466-77. doi: 10.1038/npp.2011.32. Epub 2011 Mar 23.
citation: Aupperle RL, Tankersley D, Ravindran LN, Flagan T, Stein NR, Stein MB, Paulus MP. Pregabalin effects on neural response to emotional faces. Front Hum Neurosci. 2012 Mar 27;6:42. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00042. eCollection 2012.