Impact of Stress on Brain Energy Metabolism

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Stress
• Interventions: Behavioral: Montreal Imaging Stress Test

• Registration Number: NCT06243783
• Lead Sponsor: Rupert Lanzenberger

Brief Summary

Background: Stress plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of mental disorders. However, individual differences in the vulnerability to acute and repeated stress are not well understood.

Aim: This work aims to investigate individual differences in glucose metabolism and directional connectivity regulating the neuronal stress response.

Design: 68 healthy volunteers will undergo two simultaneous PET/MRI measurements one week apart. Participants will complete the Montreal Imaging Stress Test during each measurement and in-between. Effects of stress on cognitive performance will be assessed using the n-back working memory task. Individual cortisol levels will be acquired to identify stress (non)responders as well as (non)habituators.

Implications: This work will characterize differences between stress responders vs. non-responders and stress habituators vs. non-habituators in terms of energy metabolism and network connectivity. This individual difference in the stress response may represent an important cornerstone for future evaluation of patients with mental disorders.

Detailed Description

Methodological details: Each participant will undergo two PET/MRI scans. Imaging will include functional PET and as well as structural and functional MRI. Stress-specific glucose metabolism will be quantified with the radioligand \[18F\]FDG. Functional connectivity will be combined with glucose metabolism to assess directional connectivity.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2024-01
• Study First Submitted: 2024-01-29
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-01-29
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-01-29
• Study First Posted: 2024-02-06
• Last Update Posted: 2024-02-06
• Study Start: 2024-03-01
• Primary Completion: 2028-02-29
• Study Completion: 2028-02-29

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 68

Inclusion Criteria

• 18-40 years
• right-handedness
• willingness and competence to sign the informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria

• History of or current physical, neurological or psychiatric disorder
• History of or current substance abuse or medication, including antipsychotic, antidepressant and antianxiety agents
• Pregnancy of current breast-feeding
• Contraindications for MRI-scanning (e.g., metal implants, steel grafts, etc.), including dental implants causing signal artifacts
• For subjects participating in earlier studies using ionizing radiation, the total radiation exposure of 30 mSv over the last 10 years must not be exceeded, as specified in the Austrian legislation on radiation protection Accordingly, body weight > 105 kg is an exclusion criterion.
• Failure to comply with the study protocol or to follow the instructions of the investigating team.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Stress	Montreal Imaging Stress Test	Montreal Imaging Stress Test during each PET/MRI measurement and in-between

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Stress induced changes in glucose metabolism	1 week	Glucose metabolism will be quantified from \[18F\]FDG PET imaging.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Stress induced changes in directional connectivity	1 week	Directional connectivity will be computed as combination of MRI-based functional connectivity and glucose metabolism.
Stress induced changes in cognitive performance	1 week	Cognitive performance will be obtained by the n-back working memory task.