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Anxiety DisordersPhase 4NCT00703885

PharmacofMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of Anxiolytic Medications (Alprazolam)

A Phase 4 study testing 0.25 mg alprazolam and 1.0 mg alprazolam in people with Anxiety Disorders, run by University of California, San Diego 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

The purpose of this study is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy controls to examine the acute effects of certain anxiolytic medications on brain function. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Anxiety Disorders
What is being tested?
0.25 mg alprazolam and 1.0 mg alprazolam
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
16 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jan 2008to Aug 2008
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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 30 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Male, or female (not pregnant or intending to become pregnant during the study)
  • Between the ages of 18-30.
  • In good general health.
  • No specific contraindications to the drug being administered

Who cannot join

  • Subjects with a history of DSM-IV depressive disorder, psychotic disorder, anxiety disorder
  • Subjects who meet criteria for substance abuse or dependence within the last 6 months
  • Subjects with an positive urine screen for illicit drugs
  • having clinically significant abnormal laboratory, ECG or physical examination findings not resolved by the baseline visit
  • Patients who have taken psychotropic drugs or antidepressants (including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, MAOI's) within the last year
  • subject is left-handed.
  • The subject suffers from claustrophobia, or phobia for injections or blood.
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging related exclusion criteria: cardiac pacemaker, metal fragments in eyes/skin/body (shrapnel), subjects who have ever been a metal worker/welder; history of eye surgery/eyes washed out because of metal, aortic/aneurysm clips, prosthesis, by-pass surgery/coronary artery clips, hearing aid, heart valve replacement, subjects who are in the first trimester of pregnancy, subjects with an I.U.D. (birth control device), a shunt (ventricular or spinal), electrodes, metal plates/pins/screws/wires, or neuro/bio-stimulators (TENS unit).

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of California, San Diego

    La Jolla, California, 92037

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: PharmacofMRI of Anxiolytic Medications (Alprazolam)

The purpose of this study is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy controls to examine the acute effects of certain anxiolytic medications on brain function.

Read the detailed description

Increased amygdala and insula activity have been implicated in neurobiological models of anxiety. Using fMRI, the anxiolytic medication, lorazepam, has previously been found to decrease activation in these areas during the processing of emotional stimuli. This study aims to replicate those results but by using a different medication, alprazolam. An eventual aim of this study, in combination with future studies, is to evaluate the utility of fMRI as a tool to identify anxiolytic function in both established and novel compounds that may be used to treat anxiety.

Being tested
0.25 mg alprazolam, 1.0 mg alprazolam, placebo
Keywords
functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI, alprazolam, anxiety disorders
Medical subject headings
Anxiety Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • 0.25 mg alprazolamDrug

    Also called Xanax

    0.25 mg alprazolam PO (liquid) to be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan

    Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart.

  • 1.0 mg alprazolamDrug

    Also called Xanax

    1 mg alprazolam PO (liquid) will be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan

    Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart.

  • placeboDrug

    Placebo (liquid) to be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan

    Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart.

Study groups in NCT00703885
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
1Active comparator0.25 mg alprazolam PO (liquid) will be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan. One-time, single dose. Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart.
Receives: Drug: 0.25 mg alprazolam
2Active comparator1 mg alprazolam PO (liquid) will be administered 1 hour prior to fMRI scan One-time, single dose. Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart.
Receives: Drug: 1.0 mg alprazolam
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorInactive ingredient in liquid matching appearance and volume of the two active alprazolam dose comparators. Note that subjects receive all 3 treatments in randomized order (cross-over study), approximately 7-10 days apart.
Receives: Drug: placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Effect of Alprazolam Versus Placebo on BOLD fMRI During Emotion Processing

    Analysis not completed.

    Measured: Same Day

  2. Voxelwise Brain Imaging Data

    Analysis of data not completed.

    Measured: Post-Rx Administration

Timeline

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

  1. First posted24 Jun 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2008
  3. Primary completionAug 2008
  4. Study completionAug 2008

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
16 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00703885
Sponsor's protocol ID
UCSD IRB 060407 - A
Other IDs
R01MH075792
Status last verified
Dec 2014
First submitted
20 Jun 2008
Last updated
22 Dec 2014
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Simmons AN, Arce E, Lovero KL, Stein MB, Paulus MP. Subchronic SSRI administration reduces insula response during affective anticipation in healthy volunteers. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2009 Sep;12(8):1009-20. doi: 10.1017/S1461145709990149. Epub 2009 Jun 23.

    PubMed 19545475
  • Aupperle RL, Ravindran L, Tankersley D, Flagan T, Stein NR, Simmons AN, Stein MB, Paulus MP. Pregabalin influences insula and amygdala activation during anticipation of emotional images. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2011 Jun;36(7):1466-77. doi: 10.1038/npp.2011.32. Epub 2011 Mar 23.

    PubMed 21430645
  • Aupperle RL, Tankersley D, Ravindran LN, Flagan T, Stein NR, Stein MB, Paulus MP. Pregabalin effects on neural response to emotional faces. Front Hum Neurosci. 2012 Mar 27;6:42. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00042. eCollection 2012.

    PubMed 22470326

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing 0.25 mg alprazolam and 1.0 mg alprazolam in people with Anxiety Disorders, run by University of California, San Diego 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 4 inclusion and 8 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 22 Dec 2014. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 22 Dec 2014). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Effect of Alprazolam Versus Placebo on BOLD fMRI During Emotion Processing (time frame: Same Day). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00703885, 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 22 Dec 2014.

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