The effects of MR and GR blockade on the reconsolidation and extinction of fear memories - MR, GR and the Erasure of Fear Responses

Conditions: Fear conditioning acquisition, reconsolidation and extinction in healthy male subjects.

Registration Number: EUCTR2010-023849-30-NL

Lead Sponsor: niversity of Amsterdam

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Authorised-recruitment may be ongoing or finished

Sex: Male

Target Recruitment: Not specified

Inclusion Criteria

•?Male undergraduate student
•?Age between 18 and 50 years old
•?Healthy / passing medical examination (see also exclusion criteria)
•?Given informed consent

Are the trial subjects under 18? no
Number of subjects for this age range:
F.1.2 Adults (18-64 years) yes
F.1.2.1 Number of subjects for this age range
F.1.3 Elderly (>=65 years) no
F.1.3.1 Number of subjects for this age range

Exclusion Criteria

•?A score on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index above 26
•?BMI under 18 or above 30
•?Suffering from cardiovascular diseases, severe physical illness, hypertension, current or lifetime psychopathology or endocrine disorders
•?Using?cardiological medication, antidepressants, testosterone or stimulating drugs
•?Being on medication known to affect HPA-axis functioning
•?Use of Acetyl Salicylicts Acid
•?Renal insufficiency
•?Hyperkalemia
•?Adrenal failure
•?Severe asthma uncontrolled by therapy
•?Inherited porphyria
•?Hypertension
•?Hypotension

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional clinical trial of medicinal product

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Secondary Objective: With this study we can extrapolate findings from animal studies to humans. Furthermore this study brings us one step closer in investigating the HPA-axis as a target for novel treatments for stress-related anxiety disorders, like PTSD.;Primary end point(s): The main study parameters are the acoustic fear-potentiated startle responses (eye blink components) in response to the CSs or the context during the fear conditioning paradigms. ;Main Objective: The primary objective of this study is to investigate the role of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the reconsolidation and extinction of fear memories. More specifically the following question will be answered: What effects do the MR antagonist Spironolactone and the GR antagonist Mifepristone have on the reconsolidation and extinction of fear memories as acquired by a cued and context fear conditioning paradigm 24 hours earlier.<br>

Secondary Outcome Measures