Conditions: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Keywords: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Insulin resistance Metformin Brain function
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 14
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of insulin resistance on brain function in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS affected women will be evaluated prior to and following 4-month treatment with Metformin. Additionally, brain function in women with PCOS will be compared to the brain activity in normal control subjects with regular menstrual cycles.

Detailed description:
The pathogenesis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a reproductive and metabolic disorder, is associated with insulin resistance. The effects of insulin resistance on cognition, mood, opioid system and reproductive function in PCOS affected women are investigated in the current study. The identification of reversible changes in brain function and reproductive measures in insulin resistant PCOS patients would likely significantly influence treatment protocols for these young women.

1. Evaluate the differences in opioid tone in women with insulin resistant PCOS compared to normal controls.
2. Evaluate whether an oral hypoglycemic agent is capable of altering opioid tone in women with insulin resistant PCOS.

Arms:
arm 1: Control subjects will have 5 visits (screening, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), neuropsychological testing, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) as they will receive no treatment and will not have repeat studies. The baseline values obtained from the control subjects will be compared to the baseline values acquired from the PCOS affected subjects. arm 2: Subjects with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) will be scheduled for 9 visits total: following the screening visit they will go through OGTT, neuro-psychological testing, fMRI and PET scan before and after 4 months of metformin use: 500mg tablets once daily with breakfast for 1 week, then increased to one tablet twice daily with breakfast \& lunch for 1 week, then increased to one tablet three times daily with breakfast, lunch \& dinner.

Interventions: intervention 1: Metformin
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Following the baseline studies, PCOS affected women will be initiated on metformin at a dose of 500 mg orally after breakfast and the dose will be increased the following week to 500 mg twice daily (BID), adding a dose after lunch. On the third week, the dose will be increased to 500 mg three times daily (TID), adding a 500 mg tablet after supper. All subjects will be monitored for possible side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and abdominal discomfort. These side effects tend to be mild, dose-related and improve with continued use of metformin. Hypoglycemia is rare and tends to occur in the setting of alcohol abuse or prolonged starvation. Malabsorption of vitamin B12 and folate occurs with long-term treatment, although it usually does not lead to anemia.

Protocol document: