Conditions: Anxiety Disorders
Keywords: functional magnetic resonance imaging fMRI alprazolam anxiety disorders
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 16
Healthy volunteers: yes

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.

Arms:
arm 1: 0.25 mg alprazolam PO (liquid) will be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan.

One-time, single dose.

Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart. arm 2: 1 mg alprazolam PO (liquid) will be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan

One-time, single dose.

Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart. arm 3: Inactive ingredient in liquid matching appearance and volume of the two active alprazolam dose comparators.

Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart.

Interventions: intervention 1: 0.25 mg alprazolam intervention 2: 1.0 mg alprazolam intervention 3: placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 0.25 mg alprazolam PO (liquid) to be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan

Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart. intervention 2: 1 mg alprazolam PO (liquid) will be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan

Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart. intervention 3: Placebo (liquid) to be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan

Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart.

Protocol document: