Conditions: Memory Impairment
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 24
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to examine whether vilazodone attenuates the memory and mood effects of corticosteroids on the human hippocampus in 24 healthy controls.

Detailed description:
In animals and humans, stress and corticosteroid excess are associated with changes in hippocampal structure and functioning. These findings have important implications to the millions of patients taking prescription corticosteroids and to patients with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder who have elevated cortisol levels and memory impairment. The investigators believe that vilazodone may be a medication that can block the effects of hydrocortisone on the human hippocampus. The investigators propose to examine whether vilazodone attenuates the effects of corticosteroids in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study using a within-subject crossover design.

Arms:
arm 1: Vilazodone titrated to 10 mg x 7 days, 20 mg x 7 days and 40 mg x 5 days (19 days) and hydrocortisone 160 mg x 4 days (days 16-19) following vilazodone pre-treatment. After a 23 day medication washout the procedure will be repeated using placebo daily for 19 days and hydrocortisone 160 mg x 4 days (days 16-19) following placebo pre-treatment. arm 2: Placebo daily for 19 days and hydrocortisone 160 mg x 4 days (days 16-19) following placebo pre-treatment. After a 23 day medication washout the procedure will be repeated using Vilazodone titrated to 10 mg x 7 days, 20 mg x 7 days and 40 mg x 5 days (19 days) and hydrocortisone 160 mg x 4 days (days 16-19) following vilazodone pre-treatment.

Interventions: intervention 1: Vilazodone intervention 2: Placebo intervention 3: Hydrocortisone
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Participants will be randomized to either vilazodone or placebo titrated as follows: 10 mg x 7 days, 20 mg x 7 days and 40 mg x 5 days. intervention 2: None intervention 3: Participants receive 160 mg x 4 days after vilazodone or placebo pre-treatment

Protocol document: