Effects of L-theanine on Motor Cortex Excitability in Healthy Subjects: A Paired-Pulse TMS Study

Summary

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental illness and the leading cause of disability worldwide. New pharmacotherapeutic agents with complementary neurobiological mechanism and better side effect profile are of great needs. In addition to the monoamine system, the glutamatergic system plays a crucial role in MDD.

L-theanine (N5-ethyl-L-glutamine) is the primary psychoactive component uniquely in green tea. Preclinical studies have demonstrated anti-depressant effect of L-theanine in rodents and provided evidences for its pharmacological properties of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonism. Yet these effects have not been proven in humans. Only one open-label clinical trial has studied and supported antidepressant effects of L-theanine in MDD patients. We propose using pair-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (ppTMS) to probe how L-theanine may manipulate the glutamatergic and GABA systems in the frontal region by changing cortical excitability first in healthy subjects. We plan to investigate the neurobiological effects of L-theanine in healthy subjects first.

Granted that the first phase pilot trial provides neurophysiological evidence of L-theanine on motor cortex excitability in human subjects, next phases of studies on L-theanine in MDD patients cortical excitability could be justified.

Conditions

• Cortical Excitability
• Psychiatric Disorder

Interventions

DRUG

L-theanine

The subject will receive paired-pulse TMS (ppTMS) procedure before and 30min after taking the drug orally, to assess motor cortex excitability, measured by surface electromyogram (EMG). The ppTMS procedure is administered by a TMS stimulator controlled a program software named Signal. The coil of the stimulator is placed above the scalp where the stimulation would activate the left primary motor cortex region that controls the right thumb. When a pulse stimulation is delivered by the coil, the EMG over a thumb muscle (abductor pollicis brevis) will record a motor-evoked potential on the tracing. Cross-over with placebo in two separate sessions at least 72 hours apart.

DRUG

Placebo

The subject will receive paired-pulse TMS (ppTMS) procedure before and 30min after taking the drug orally, to assess motor cortex excitability, measured by surface electromyogram (EMG). The ppTMS procedure is administered by a TMS stimulator controlled a program software named Signal. The coil of the stimulator is placed above the scalp where the stimulation would activate the left primary motor cortex region that controls the right thumb. When a pulse stimulation is delivered by the coil, the EMG over a thumb muscle (abductor pollicis brevis) will record a motor-evoked potential on the tracing. Cross-over with L-theanine in two separate sessions at least 72 hours apart.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Butler Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Linda Carpenter, MD · Brown University-Butler Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-06-09

Primary Completion

2021-05-31

Completion

2021-05-31

FDA Drug

Yes

Countries

• United States

Study Locations