Investigating the Effects of Social Stress on Brain Imaging

Not Applicable

Suspended

• Conditions: Social Stress
• Interventions: Behavioral: Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)

• Registration Number: NCT05591404
• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine whether experiencing a social stressor prior to the collection of neuroimaging measures is associated with differences in brain activation in healthy participants.

Detailed Description

Using a randomized, parallel-group study design, this scientific investigation will examine the effect that experiencing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), the gold-standard for ethically inducing stress in a controlled laboratory setting, may have on neuroimaging measures of anxiety in healthy subjects. The study will enroll 50 healthy subjects who will be randomized to either experience the TSST or watch a nature film prior to undergoing task-based neuroimaging measures of emotional processing and self-referential processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

This study will be conducted primarily at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with research and clinical support from Massachusetts General Hospital.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-10-19
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-10-19
• Study First Posted: 2022-10-24
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-08
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-10
• Study Start: 2027-09
• Primary Completion: 2028-05
• Study Completion: 2028-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: SUSPENDED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent.
• Sufficiently fluent in English to participate in the trial.
• Between 18-55 years of age (inclusive).
• Right-hand dominant.
• Current medications are stable for past 30 days (no changes to dose or frequency).
• Negative result on pregnancy test (if female).
• Negative result on urine drug screening.
• No clinically significant mental health disorders (QuickSCID-5).
• Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS <30).

Exclusion Criteria

• History of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, delusional disorders.
• History of eating disorder within past 6 months.
• History of any traumatic brain injury.
• Currently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.
• Presence of severe medical illness that would prevent completion of study procedures.
• Presence of significant neurological illness or cognitive dysfunction (e.g.; seizures, dementia).
• History of substance use disorder within past 6 months (other than nicotine and caffeine).
• Use of any cannabis-containing products in past 30 days (CBD or THC).
• Use of beta-blockers or benzodiazepines in past 2 weeks.
• History of claustrophobia.
• Contraindications for MRI (e.g.; shrapnel).
• Presence of any other medical condition that, in the investigator's opinion, may interfere with the study procedures.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Film + TSST	Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)	Nature Film + Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Differences in fMRI BOLD Response	Day 1	Patterns of brain activation measured as blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signals will be assessed using 3.0 Tesla (3T) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Several exploratory imaging paradigms, including the emotional face-matching task (EFMT) and the self-referential comment task (SRCT), will be used to examine differences between participants who experience the TSST and those who do not.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Massachusetts General Hospital; 🇺🇸 Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 🇺🇸 Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States