AzTrials
AzTrials

Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderNCT00082550

Serotonin Transporters in Obsessive-Compulsive-Related Disorders

An observational study of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 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
Search all trials

Trial summary

This study will compare serotonin transporters in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy volunteers in order to better understand the role of serotonin in OCD. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that transmits nerve impulses. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
How many people
30 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
10 May 2004to 9 Apr 2007
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 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients and Controls:
  • Age: 18-65.
  • Patients- DSM-IV criteria for OCD.
  • Controls- not required
  • Patients and Controls:
  • Good health, with absence of serious medical illnesses, such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, kidney failure, epilepsy or cancer.

Who cannot join

  • Healthy Subjects:
  • History or current DSM-IV Axis I diagnostic criteria.
  • Patients and Controls:
  • Current diagnosis of major depressive disorder.
  • Patients and Controls:
  • Psychotropic medications, including SSRIs and antipsychotic medications. Drug free period must be greater than 4 weeks.
Show all 14Show fewer
  • Patients and Controls:
  • Claustrophobia
  • Patients and Controls:
  • Pregnancy. Women with child bearing potential.
  • Patients and Controls:
  • Prior participation in other research protocols within the past year such that a radiation exposure together with the present study would exceed the annual limits.
  • Patients and Controls:
  • Any condition that increases risk for MRI (e.g., pacemaker, metallic foreign body in the eye, etc.)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: PET Imaging of Monoamine Transporters in OCD-related Disorders

This study will compare serotonin transporters in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy volunteers in order to better understand the role of serotonin in OCD. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that transmits nerve impulses. The serotonin transporter (SERT) is a protein that regulates serotonin levels in the brain.

Normal, healthy volunteers and patients with OCD between 18 and 50 years of age and in overall good health may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, physical examination, blood and urine tests, and a psychological interview and tests related to OCD symptoms. Participants undergo the following tests:

  • Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning: For this test, subjects lie on the scanner bed, wearing special masks that are fitted to their heads and attached to the beds to help keep their heads still during the procedure. An 8-minute "transmission" scan is done to provide measures of the brain that will help calculate information obtained from subsequent scans. Then, a radioactive tracer is injected into a catheter (plastic tube) placed in the arm. The scan produces images of the serotonin transporters in the brain. Pictures are taken for about 2 hours, while the subject lies still on the scanner bed.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning: An MRI scan of the brain is done within 1 year of the PET scan-that is, up to 1 year before or 1 year after the PET scan. MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of body tissues and organs. For this procedure, the patient lies on a table that is moved into the scanner (a narrow cylinder), wearing earplugs to muffle loud knocking and thumping sounds that occur during the scanning process. The procedure lasts about 1 hour, during which the patient will be asked to lie still for up to a few minutes at a time.
  • Genotyping: Subjects provide a blood sample (4 tablespoons) for DNA testing to look for genes or gene regions that may contribute to serotonin activity. This may lead to a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of the serotonin system that influence mood, movement, and addiction.
Read the detailed description

Evidence suggests that the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) arise from dysfunction of both the serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems. These two neurotransmitter systems are presumed to play a key modulatory role at the limbic-motor interface of the fronto-subcortical circuitry. However, in vivo knowledge linking the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems to OCD and OCD-related disorders is limited. In the current protocol, we plan to use PET to image the serotonin transporter (SERT) within the new radioligand [11C]DASB, in order to delineate regional abnormalities in SERT binding in drug-naive or drug-free OCD patients in comparison to healthy volunteers. In addition, we plan to examine the relationship between the regional PET measures of SERT and clinical severity measures of OCD. The goal of the present study is, thus, to further our understanding of the role of the serotonergic system in the pathophysiology of OCD.

Keywords
Genetics, Serotonin Transporter, Brain Imaging, Neurotransmitter, OCD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, PET, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Healthy Volunteer, HV
Medical subject headings
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Timeline

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

  1. First posted12 May 2004 (estimated)
  2. Study start10 May 2004
  3. Study completion9 Apr 2007

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
30 participants
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00082550
Sponsor's protocol ID
040180
Other IDs
04-M-0180
Status last verified
9 Apr 2007
First submitted
12 May 2004
Last updated
2 Jul 2017
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Bellodi L, Sciuto G, Diaferia G, Ronchi P, Smeraldi E. Psychiatric disorders in the families of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Res. 1992 May;42(2):111-20. doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(92)90075-e.

    PubMed 1631248

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at 1 site in United States.

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

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jul 2017. 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 NCT00082550, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 2 Jul 2017.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in