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StrokeNCT00015678

Effects of Flumazenil on Brain Excitability

An observational study of Stroke and Healthy, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will investigate the effects of the drug flumazenil on brain excitability and the drug's relationship to a natural brain chemical called GABA. Flumazenil is commonly used in hospitals to reverse the effects of a group of drugs called benzodiazepines, one of which is Valium. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Stroke, Healthy
How many people
7 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Apr 2001to Apr 2002
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Only healthy volunteers, who are age 21 or older.

No history of surgery with metallic implants or known metallic particles in the brain.

Patients cannot be pregnant (as tested with a pregnancy test).

Patients with a psychiatric illness are not eligible.

No history of seizures.

No cardiovascular disease or drug therapy for chronic depression.

No hypersensitivity to benzodiazepines and related drugs.

No history of drug abuse and/or chronic alcoholism.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Effects of Flumazenil on Cortical Excitability in Humans

This study will investigate the effects of the drug flumazenil on brain excitability and the drug's relationship to a natural brain chemical called GABA. Flumazenil is commonly used in hospitals to reverse the effects of a group of drugs called benzodiazepines, one of which is Valium. Benzodiazepines act by enhancing the effects of GABA.

Healthy volunteers 21 years of age and older may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and physical and neurological examinations.

Read more

Participants will have transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) four times on two different days, before and after receiving an intravenous (through a vein) infusion of either flumazenil or placebo (an inactive sugar solution), as follows:

TMS study 1

Drug or placebo infusion

TMS study 2 - 15 minutes after infusion

TMS study 3 - 60 minutes after infusion

TMS study 4 - 120 minutes after infusion

In transcranial magnetic stimulation, a very brief electrical current is passed through an insulated coil wire placed on the scalp. These currents stimulate the cortex (outer part of the brain). They may cause muscle, hand, or arm twitching if the coil is near the part of the brain that controls movement, or they may affect other reflexes or movements. During the study, subjects may be asked to make movements, do simple tasks or tense muscles. To record the electrical activity of muscles, electrodes will be taped to the skin over the muscles tested. In some cases, the studies will be videotaped.

Flumazenil will be infused through a catheter (thin plastic tube) attached to a needle placed in an arm vein. On one day, subjects will receive a 1-mg injection of flumazenil followed by a continuous infusion of 0.5 mg of the drug for about 30 minutes. On the other day, they will receive placebo, administered in the same manner.

Read the detailed description

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of flumazenil on cortical excitability in healthy human volunteers. Flumazenil acts as a potent benzodiazepine (BZP)-specific antagonist by competing at the central synaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor site. However, the relationship between GABA and flumazenil without BZPs is not well known. We plan to determine if intravenous (IV) administration in therapeutic dosage alters cortical excitability as measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The long-term plan is to identify a pharmacological method to reduce cortical inhibition that might be useful in stroke rehabilitation.

Conditions
Stroke, Healthy
Keywords
Motor Cortex, Drug, GABA, Cortical Modulation, Magnetic Stimulation, Healthy Volunteer
Medical subject headings
Stroke

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Apr 2001 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2001
  3. Study completionApr 2002

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Enrolment
7 participants
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00015678
Sponsor's protocol ID
010164
Other IDs
01-N-0164
Status last verified
Apr 2002
First submitted
28 Apr 2001
Last updated
4 Mar 2008
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Cone AM, Stott SA. Flumazenil. Br J Hosp Med. 1994 Apr 6-19;51(7):346-8.

    PubMed 8081564
  • Brogden RN, Goa KL. Flumazenil. A preliminary review of its benzodiazepine antagonist properties, intrinsic activity and therapeutic use. Drugs. 1988 Apr;35(4):448-67. doi: 10.2165/00003495-198835040-00004.

    PubMed 2839329
  • Mohler H, Richards JG. Agonist and antagonist benzodiazepine receptor interaction in vitro. Nature. 1981 Dec 24;294(5843):763-5. doi: 10.1038/294763a0. No abstract available.

    PubMed 6275273

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Stroke and Healthy, run by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Mar 2008. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00015678, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Mar 2008.

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