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A Study of Neural Circuit Responses to Catechol-O-methyl Transferase (COMT) Inhibitors

NCT01158950 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 26

Last updated 2020-11-20

Study results available
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Summary

In this study, we seek to understand the effects of tolcapone, an FDA-approved COMT inhibitor, on reward choice and response inhibition, two measures we have previously shown to be altered in subjects with alcoholism. We now plan to test the hypothesis that COMT regulation of cortical dopamine levels is critical for regulation financial choices. Specifically, we propose that the lower levels of cortical dopamine present in individuals with the val158val COMT genotype reduces the inhibitory effect of frontal cortical areas on impulsive choice; an idea that extends previous hypotheses about the negative consequences of decreased prefrontal dopamine levels on inhibitory control. Moreover, this hypothesis suggests that inhibiting COMT may slow the degradation of dopamine and thereby decrease impulsivity.

Conditions

  • Impulsive Behavior

Interventions

DRUG

Tolcapone

Drug: Tolcapone 200mg (single dose) administered at study visit

OTHER

Placebo

Placebo (200mg) administered at study visit

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Howard Fields, MD, PhD · UCSF: Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center

  • Jennifer Mitchell, PhD · UCSF: Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
50 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2010-03-31
Primary Completion
2018-12-31
Completion
2018-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Companies

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 NCT01158950 on ClinicalTrials.gov