The Role of the Renin-angiotensin System in Emotion-memory Interactions
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 60
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- fMRI-based indices of neural activity during processing of emotional stimuli will be compared between the treatment groups
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a single dose of losartan (50 mg) can affect emotion-memory interaction in healthy humans and its underlying neural mechanisms.
Detailed Description
Animal models and initial findings in humans suggest a role of the renin-angiotensin system in cognitive and emotional processes. Accumulating evidence demonstrates modulatory effects of the angiotensin antagonist losartan in the domains of memory and emotional processing. Against this background the present study aims to investigate the behavioral and neural effects of a single dose of losartan on emotional processing and emotion-memory integration in healthy subjects. In a double-blind, between-subject, placebo-controlled pharmaco-fMRI experiment, 60 male participants will be randomized to a single dose of losartan (50 mg) or placebo, and encode emotional pictures during fMRI (scheduled 90 minutes after drug administration). Then 24 hours post fMRI participants will finish a surprise recognition memory test to estimate the emotion effects on subsequent memory.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- Double (Participant, Investigator)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 30 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- Male
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Healthy subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders
- •Right-handedness
- •Normal or corrected-normal version
Exclusion Criteria
- •History of head injury
- •Medical or psychiatric illness
- •Hypertension
- •General cardio-vascular alteration or diseases
- •Allergy against medications
- •Visual or motor impairments
- •Claustrophobia
- •Drug addiction
- •Nicotine dependence
- •FMRI contradictions
Arms & Interventions
Losartan group
Drug: Losartan
Intervention: Losartan (Drug)
Placebo group
Drug: Placebo Oral Tablet
Intervention: Placebo Oral Tablet (Drug)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
fMRI-based indices of neural activity during processing of emotional stimuli will be compared between the treatment groups
Time Frame: 120 to 150 minutes after treatment
Neural activation during processing of emotional pictures will be assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The fMRI data will be analyzed by a Generalized Linear Model approach. Effects of treatment will be determined by comparing the losartan-treated group with the placebo-treated group.
fMRI-based indices of neural activity for subsequently successfully remembered as compared to non-remembered stimuli will be compared between the treatment groups
Time Frame: 120 to 150 minutes after treatment
Neural activation for stimuli that are successfully remembered after an interval of 24hours will be compared to stimuli that are not successfully remembered. Neural activity between the subsequently remembered and non-remembered stimuli will be assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquired during the initial encoding of the stimuli. The fMRI data will be analyzed by a Generalized Linear Model approach. Effects of treatment will be determined by comparing the losartan-treated group with the placebo-treated group.
Secondary Outcomes
- Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) ratings of arousal of the stimuli will be compared between the treatment groups(120 to 150 minutes after treatment)
- Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) ratings of valence of the stimuli will be compared between the treatment groups(120 to 150 minutes after treatment)
- Memory performance in terms of correctly recognized stimuli will be compared between the treatment groups(24 hours after treatment)
Investigators
Benjamin Becker
Professor
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China