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Gender Identity DisorderNCT01292785

Effects of Sex Steroid Hormones on Human Brain Function, Structure and Connectivity

An observational study of Gender Identity Disorder, run by Medical University of Vienna at 1 site in Austria.

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 ultrahigh-field MRI study gives us the unique opportunity to measure changes in brain function and structure induced by long-term opposite-sex steroid hormone administration in transsexual subjects. Our aim is 1. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 55 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Gender Identity Disorder
What is being tested?
Hormones
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
How many people
80 participants
Where
1 siteAustria
Study dates
Jan 2011to Apr 2015
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 55 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Study population: Transsexuals urging sex reassignment in a clinical setting will be enrolled at the Unit for Gender Identity Disorder at the General Hospital in Vienna. 20 female-to-male (FtM) and 20 male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals will be asked to undergo this fMRI, MRI, DTI and resting-state functional connectivity study. Transsexual subjects are aged between 18 and 50 years old and free from hormone-treatment at baseline. 40 healthy control subjects, matched for age, sex and sexual orientation to transsexual subjects will be recruited.

Who may be able to join

  • DSM-IV diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder (DSM-IV: 302.85, 302.6; ICD-10: F64.9, F64.8) by a structured clinical interview (SCID)
  • general health based on history, physical examination, ECG, laboratory screening, SCID
  • willingness and competence to sign the informed consent form
  • general health based on history, physical examination, ECG, laboratory screening, SCID
  • willingness and competence to sign the informed consent form

Who cannot join

  • severe neurological or internal diseases
  • steroid hormone treatment within 2 months prior to inclusion (including birth control pill, phytohormones)
  • treatment with psychotropic agents such as SSRIs
  • any implant or stainless steel graft
  • abnormal values in routine laboratory screening or general physical examination
  • current substance abuse (determined using drug screening at the screening visit)
Show all 15Show fewer
  • pregnancy (determined at screening visit and first MRI scan)
  • failure to comply with the study protocol or to follow the instructions of the investigating team.
  • severe diseases
  • any implant or stainless steel graft
  • steroid hormone treatment within 2 months prior to inclusion (including birth control pill, phytohormones)
  • abnormal values in routine laboratory screening or general physical examination
  • current substance abuse (determined using drug screening at the screening visit)
  • pregnancy (determined at screening visit and first MRI scan)
  • failure to comply with the study protocol or to follow the instructions of the investigating team

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Austria1 site
  • Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna

    Vienna, 1090

Other trials in Austria

About this study

Official title: Effects of Sex Steroid Hormones on Human Brain Function, Structure and Connectivity: A Longitudinal Study Using 7 Tesla Ultrahigh-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging

This ultrahigh-field MRI study gives us the unique opportunity to measure changes in brain function and structure induced by long-term opposite-sex steroid hormone administration in transsexual subjects. Our aim is 1. to prove the influence of high-dose, long-term opposite-sex steroid hormone treatment on functional brain response in transsexuals. 2. to investigate the influence of hormone treatment on resting state functional connectivity and brain morphology. 3. to investigate differences between transsexuals and healthy control subjects in brain function and functional connectivity, brain morphology and structural connectivity. In this longitudinal study, transsexuals and healthy control subjects will undergo three 7 Tesla ultrahigh-field MRI scan sessions: 1. baseline (before hormone treatment), 2. after 4 weeks of treatment and 3. after 4 months of treatment.

Being tested
Hormones
Medical subject headings
Gender Dysphoria

What participants receive

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

  • HormonesDrug

    FtM will receive

    • 1000mg testosterone undecanoate every 12 weeks (Nebido® 4ml i.m.), or alternatively 50mg testosterone transdermally (Testogel® 5g-bag per day) and
    • if menstruation still occurs, additionally either lynestrenol Orgametril® (2-3 tablets/day) or in some cases 0.075mg desogestrel (Cerazette®, 1 tablet/day).

    MtF will receive

    • 50mg cyproterone acetate daily (Androcur®)
    • estradiol 100µg transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) twice a week (Estradot®, Estramon®), especially if subjects age is > 40 years, or p.o. estradiol 2x2mg (Estrofem®) if subjects age is < 40 years; alternatively estradiol 0,75-1,5mg (1-2 hubs) transdermally (Estrogel-Gel®) and
    • 2,5mg alpha-5-reductase-inhibitor every 2nd day (Finasterid Actavis/ Arcana/ Aurobindo®) in case of extensive hair loss.
Study groups in NCT01292785
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
TranssexualFemale-to-Male and Male-to-Female Transsexuals receiving hormonal therapy
Receives: Drug: Hormones
Healthy control subjectsreceiving no hormonal therapy

What is being measured

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

  1. BOLD response to experimental fMRI paradigms

    task-related BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) responses are evaluated before, and 4 weeks, as well as 4 months of hormonal treatment in transsexual subjects and healthy control subjects

    Measured: at baseline, 1 and 4 months after treatment start

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Psychological Questionaires

    Psychological questionaires measuring different aspects of emotion and cognitive processing are used to infer effects of hormonal therapy on these measures

    Measured: at baseline, 1 and 4 months after treatment start

Timeline

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

  1. First posted10 Feb 2011 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2011
  3. Primary completionApr 2015
  4. Study completionApr 2015

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
80 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01292785
Sponsor's protocol ID
P23021FWF
Status last verified
Apr 2015
First submitted
9 Feb 2011
Last updated
9 Apr 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Gender Identity Disorder, run by Medical University of Vienna at 1 site in Austria.

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 5 inclusion and 15 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 9 Apr 2015. 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 Austria. 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.

What does the primary outcome measure?

BOLD response to experimental fMRI paradigms (time frame: at baseline, 1 and 4 months after treatment start). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 9 Apr 2015.

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