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Hormonal ChangesNCT06365515

Dopamine, Reward Learning and Sex Hormones

A study testing Levodopa administration in people with Hormonal Changes and Menstrual Cycle, run by University Hospital Tuebingen at 1 site in Germany.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

Hormonal transition periods during the menstrual cycle may predispose women to mental disorders. Hormonal fluctuations provide specific neuroendocrine conditions that modulate brain structure and function and these actions affect cognitive and emotional behaviors and affect energy and mood homeostasis. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 20 to 35 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Hormonal Changes, Menstrual Cycle
What is being tested?
Levodopa administration
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
90 participants
Where
1 siteGermany
Study dates
May 2024to Dec 2025
Phase
Interventional
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 20 to 35 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Naturally cycling healthy women and men
  • Age between 20-35
  • Body-mass index (BMI): 18-28 kg/m2
  • German or English language fluency
  • Normal or corrected to normal vision
  • For women: Regular menstrual cycle, no hormonal contraception (between 25 and 31 days)

Who cannot join

  • Lifetime history of brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, seizures, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, or severe alcohol/substance dependence, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (anamnestic survey)
  • Mood disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma- and stressor related disorder, somatic symptom disorder or eating disorder in the last 12 months prior to testing (anamnestic survey)
  • Severe/uncontrolled medical problems such as hormonal, metabolic, heart or chronic diseases (e.g., severe hypertension, diabetes, dysfunctions of the thyroid, or congestive heart failure)
  • Pregnancy, delivery, and lactation (current and within the last year; anamnestic survey)
  • Undergoing regular hormonal treatment
  • Daily smoking (nicotine, shisha, e-cigarettes) or >1/week (cannabis)
Show all 15Show fewer
  • History of malignant melanoma, angle-closure glaucoma, gastrointestinal ulcers, and osteomalacia
  • Hypersensitivity to: Microcrystalline cellulose, Mannitol (Ph.Eur.), Calcium hydrogen phosphate, Pregelatinized Starch (Corn), Crospovidone, Ethylcellulose, Fumed silica, Docusate sodium, Magnesium Stearate (Ph.Eur.), Iron/Ferric oxide (E 172)
  • Taking certain types of medication (antihypertensive drugs, sympathomimetics, antipsychotics, drugs affecting the extrapyramidal motor system), non-selective MAO inhibitors or a combination of MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors
  • Since we will only include healthy participants, other medications that might contraindicate Levodopa (e.g., for mental disorders) will be excluded as well. Any other occasional medication will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  • Pathological hearing or increased sensitivity to loud noises
  • Contraindication for MRI
  • Claustrophobia
  • Non-removable metal objects on or in the body
  • Moderate or severe head injury

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Nils B Kroemer, Professor contact

+4922828711151

nils.kroemer@uni-tuebingen.de

Johannes Klaus, MD contact

Johannes.Klaus@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Germany1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen

    Tübingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, 72076

    Andrea Heberle, Andrea.Heberle@med.uni-tuebingen.de

    Recruiting

Other trials in Germany

About this study

Official title: Dopamine and Reward Learning Across Hormonal Transition Phases

Hormonal transition periods during the menstrual cycle may predispose women to mental disorders. Hormonal fluctuations provide specific neuroendocrine conditions that modulate brain structure and function and these actions affect cognitive and emotional behaviors and affect energy and mood homeostasis. It is thought that these changes are driven by altered dopamine transmission. Here, the investigators aim to examine (1) how sex hormones and dopamine are linked and also (2) how hormonal changes affect motivation, mood, and energy homeostasis.

To this end, dopamine intervention will be tested on effort-based decision-making and motivational circuits in three hormonal stages (i.e., women in early-follicular phase (EF), women in mid-luteal phase (ML), and men). Additionally, the effects of hormonal status on metabolic indices will be tested, and its effects on mood fluctuations in a period of a month.

The investigator hypothesizes that women in EF cycle phase (1) have naturally less dopamine and show less effort, and (2) they show greater improvement in effort-based decision-making after Levodopa administration. The investigator has exploratory outcomes about (3) sex differences in reward-learning with and without Levodopa administration and explores if these differences correlate with elevated female sex hormone levels. Moreover, it is hypothesized that (4) hormonal fluctuations affect energy homeostasis, thus women in their EF cycle phase have higher energy expenditure and (5) they report more negative mood than in their mid-luteal (ML) cycle phase.

Read the detailed description

This study will investigate naturally cycling women (n = 60) and men (n = 30). During the intake session (C1) energy expenditure of men and women in their EF cycle phase will be assessed by indirect calorimetry, participants will perform a training EAT task, and hormones (e.g., estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and their precursor steroids and metabolites) will be assessed from blood samples. Energy expenditure will be assessed at another time point again (C2) (women with different hormonal profiles) and blood samples will be collected.

During the neuroimaging sessions (S1, S2) both men and women will be measured, 30 women in their EF menstrual cycle phase and another 30 women in their ML phase. All participants will take part in the Effort Allocation Task, an effort-based decision-making task during an L-DOPA-based pharmaco-neuroimaging using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). To disentangle the influence of L-DOPA within a randomized double-blind design, in one session an L-DOPA-based pill (Madopar, 150mg/37.5 mg L-DOPA/ benserazide) and in another one a placebo pill will be administered. Sex steroids (e.g., progesterone, estrogen, testosterone) and metabolic hormones (e.g., glucose, insulin, triglyceride, ghrelin) will be obtained from blood samples. Before and after the MR scanning a reinforcement learning task will be examined.

Over one month, a smartphone survey will be used to regularly record mood, premenstrual symptoms, and information on food cravings. Participants will be asked to start filling out the daily survey after C1 and continue it for 30 days.

Being tested
Levodopa administration, Placebo administration
Keywords
dopamine, fMRI, energy homeostasis, mood homeostasis, sex hormones, motivation, menstrual cycle

What participants receive

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

  • Levodopa administrationDrug

    Also called Madopar® tablets (Levodopa and Berazidhydrochlorid; Roche)

    To boost dopamine levels 150mg/37.5 mg L-DOPA/benserazide will be administered in line with recent studies (Kroemer et al., 2019). Maximum plasma concentration of Madopar occur ~60 minutes after drug administration. Participants will start the Effort Allocation Task 45 minutes after Levodopa administration.

  • Placebo administrationDrug

    Also called Placebo tablets (P-Tabletten White, Lichtenstein)

    Placebo tablets will be administered as the placebo-controlled condition.

Study groups in NCT06365515
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Women in EFExperimentalHealthy women in the early follicular menstrual cycle phase
Receives: Drug: Levodopa administration; Drug: Placebo administration
Women in MLExperimentalHealthy women in the mid-luteal menstrual cycle phase
Receives: Drug: Levodopa administration; Drug: Placebo administration
MenExperimentalHealthy men
Receives: Drug: Levodopa administration; Drug: Placebo administration

What is being measured

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

  1. Motivation to work for rewards: force of pressing grip force device (GFD) to gain food and monetary rewards circuitry during effort-based decision-making

    Operationalized via the relative force exerted on GFD in an effort allocation task during either the first seconds of each trial (invigoration) or each complete trial (maintenance). Levodopa compared to placebo condition. Outcomes will be compared between groups and will be associated with blood hormone levels.

    Measured: During Effort Allocation Task (30 minutes) 45-75 minutes after pharmacological challenge

  2. Reward-related brain responses in the reward network during effort-based decision-making

    Comparing brain activity (BOLD signals) in response to feedback in regions of the reward network (ROIs: Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc), Putamen, Caudate, Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), Amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex (PFC), Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC), Insula). Levodopa compared to placebo condition. Outcomes will be compared between groups and will be associated with blood hormone levels.

    Measured: During task-based neuroimaging (45-75 minutes after drug administration)

  3. Reward anticipation on a neural level

    Comparing brain activity (BOLD signals) in reward-related brain regions (ROIs: NAcc, striatum, PFC, ACC) during the presentation of reward cues with high vs. low reward magnitude after Levodopa administration vs. placebo. Outcomes will be compared between groups and will be associated with blood hormone levels.

    Measured: During task-based neuroimaging (45-75 minutes after drug administration)

  4. Execution of effort on a neural level

    Comparing brain activity (BOLD signals) in reward-related brain regions (ROIs: Striatum, Insula, ACC, PFC) during force exerted on GFD in an effort allocation task after Levodopa administration vs. placebo. Outcomes will be compared between groups and will be associated with blood hormone levels.

    Measured: During task-based neuroimaging (45-75 minutes after drug administration)

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Resting-state functional connectivity

    Resting-state functional connectivity of regions of the mesocorticolimbic circuitry (ROIs: Nucleus Accumbens, Putamen, Caudata, Ventral Tegmental Area, Amygdala, ventral medial Prefrontal Cortex, Orbitofrontal cortex, Anterior Cingulate Cortex) after Levodopa administration vs. placebo.

    Measured: During resting-state neuroimaging (10 minutes)

  2. Changes in reinforcement learning

    Changes in reward-learning parameters, which are based on choices in the task before Levodopa administration vs. after Levodopa administration and compared to placebo condition.

    Measured: During value-based decision-making task (15 minutes) measured 15 minutes before Levodopa administration and 90 min after

  3. Menstrual cycle induced changes in mood and food cravings

    Changes in positive and negative mood ratings (5 mood and 5 stress items, scale 1-10) and in premenstrual symptoms (PSST items, Likert scale 1-4), and in food-craving (FCQ-S items, Likert scale 1-5) measured with ecological momentary assessment.

    Measured: Measured every day (5 minutes) over the period of one month

  4. Changes in resting energy expenditure

    Menstrual cycle-related changes in resting energy expenditure, measured with indirect calorimetry. Resting energy expenditure will be measured during the early follicular phase and then around ovulation

    Measured: Measured twice 1-2 weeks apart, measurement takes 30 minutes

  5. Changes in metabolic hormone levels during the menstrual cycle

    Changes in metabolic hormone levels (insulin, glucose, ghrelin, leptin; μg/dL or nmol/L) will be assessed from blood samples during the early follicular phase, ovulatory phase, and mid-luteal phase.

    Measured: Measured 4 times (5 minutes/day) during a period of 30 days

Timeline

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

  1. First posted15 Apr 2024
  2. Study startMay 2024 (estimated)
  3. Primary completionDec 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2025 (estimated)

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Model description
The investigators will assess the effects of Levodopa administration on reward-learning using a double-blind randomized cross-over design. In a within-subject design, participants will get both conditions (Levodopa/placebo) at different time points (a few days apart). After drug/placebo administration we will assess cerebral blood flow and functional connectivity at rest (via functional MR imaging) during effort-based decision making task.
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
90 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06365515
Sponsor's protocol ID
TUE010_IRTG_P5
Status last verified
Aug 2023
First submitted
9 Apr 2024
Last updated
9 May 2024
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: After the publication of the key results of the study, all anonymized imaging data will be made publicly available (e.g., at openfmri.org)

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Levodopa administration in people with Hormonal Changes and Menstrual Cycle, run by University Hospital Tuebingen at 1 site in Germany.

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 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 May 2024. 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 Germany. 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?

Results are not available in the source record.

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

Contact Nils B Kroemer, Professor (+4922828711151, nils.kroemer@uni-tuebingen.de), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Motivation to work for rewards: force of pressing grip force device (GFD) to gain food and monetary rewards circuitry during effort-based decision-making (time frame: During Effort Allocation Task (30 minutes) 45-75 minutes after pharmacological challenge). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. 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 May 2024.

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