The Influence of Glutamate on Memory in Humans

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy Individuals
• Interventions: Drug: Sugar pill; Drug: Glutamic Acid; Drug: Memantine

• Registration Number: NCT00980408
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Bonn

Brief Summary

The hippocampus is particularly laden with n-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and is at the same time one of the most important sites in declarative memory. The rationale of this study is that the NMDA partial agonist D-Cycloserine will promote learning compared to a placebo. On the other hand, the NMDA receptor antagonist Memantine might lead to reduced memory. We believe that the influence of NMDA receptors on memory can be determined via acute co-activation of the NMDA receptors with Cycloserine® (King Pharmaceuticals Ltd, active ingredient: DCycloserin, dose: 250 mg) and Memantine (Axura®, Merz, active ingredient: Memantine, dose: 20 mg)on both a behavioral and functional (fMRI) level.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-06
• Study First Submitted: 2009-09-18
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-09-18
• Study First Posted: 2009-09-21
• Primary Completion: 2011-08
• Study Completion: 2011-08
• Status Verified: 2014-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-12-02
• Last Update Posted: 2014-12-03

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 120

Inclusion Criteria

• German native language or native language level
• Able to give written informed consent
• right-handed

Exclusion Criteria

• inability to give written informed consent, underaged minors, contractually incapable persons, persons in legal custody
• any psychiatric, neurological or internal illness
• hematoporphyria (enzyme sickness)
• intake of medication (except oral contraceptives)
• simultaneous participation in other clinical studies
• hypersensitivity to Memantine or other anti-dementia substances, or to D-Cycloserine
• alcohol abuse
• epilepsy
• depression
• serious anxiety or psychosis
• serious kidney insufficiency
• intake of Ethionamide or Isoniazide
• pregnancy or women who are nursing
• liver or kidney problems
• intake of NMDA-antagonists, such as Amantadine, Ketamine, or Dextromethorphan
• vegetarians
• stomach ulcer, if treated with medication
• renal tubular acidosis
• urinary infections (with proteus bacteria)
• recent heart attack, heart failure, or uncontrolled high blood pressure
• intake of L-Dopa, dopaminergic agonists, and anticholinergics
• intake of barbiturates, spasmolytics, Phenytoin, Amantadine, oral coagulators, warfarin, HCT (Hydrochlorothiazide)
• heart or cranial operations
• pacemaker, medication pump (such as insulin pump), hearing aid, removable prosthodontics
• metal in or on body (such as acupuncture needles, artificial limbs, stents, metal splints, clips, implanted electrodes, tattoos, or piercings)
• claustrophobia

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Sugar pill, behavioral glutamic acid	Sugar pill	Placebo condition for D-Cycloserine
Sugar pill, fMRI, glutamic acid	Sugar pill	Placebo condition for D-Cycloserine, fMRI
Sugar pill, memantine, fMRI	Sugar pill	Placebo condition Memantine, fMRI
Sugar pill, memantine, behavioral	Sugar pill	Placebo condition Memantine, behavioral
D-Cycloserine behavioral	Glutamic Acid	-
Memantine, fMRI	Memantine	-
Memantine, behavioral	Memantine	-
D-Cycloserine, fMRI	Glutamic Acid	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
fMRI during learning task	once at drug administration

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH; 🇩🇪 Juelich, NRW, Germany