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Effect of Hydrocortisone on the Brain

NCT00055003 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 80

Last updated 2017-07-02

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to examine the effect of the hormone hydrocortisone on the brain's response to various facial expressions.

Glucocorticoids can influence emotional behavior and cognition; when given long-term, the hormones may lead to mania or depression. One way glucocorticoids may influence emotional behavior is by affecting the activity of certain parts of the brain that participate in emotional processing. Brain imaging studies indicate that the amygdala, ventral medial prefrontal, and other prefrontal cortical areas of the brain are activated during tasks that require processing of emotional stimuli. These brain structures contain dense concentrations of glucocorticoid receptors. This study will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the brain activity of participants as they view faces that express different emotions. Participants will perform this task under a dose of either the glucocorticoid hydrocortisone or placebo (an inactive solution).

Participants in this study will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, blood tests, and an interview about their mood, degree of nervousness, and behavior. On Visit 1, participants will undergo screening and neuropsychological testing. For 3 days prior to Visit 2, participants will collect their saliva. During Visit 2, participants will undergo MRI scans of the brain after infusion with either a high or low dose of hydrocortisone or placebo. Participants will also undergo functional MRI (fMRI). Blood samples will be collected every 15 minutes during the scan. Following the MRI, participants will take attention and memory tests.

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Conditions

  • Healthy

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

    lead NIH

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
50 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2003-02-13
Completion
2010-11-18

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00055003 on ClinicalTrials.gov