Effect of Gabapentin on GABA Concentration and Emotional Processing

NCT00094510 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 05000605-M-0006
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will use magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and the drug gabapentin to examine the role of the brain chemical gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) in regulating emotions in healthy people. Gabapentin, which is used to treat epilepsy, increases GABA concentrations in the brain. MRS, similar to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is a diagnostic test that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of the brain. Non-smoking, healthy normal volunteers between 18 and 60 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, psychiatric evaluation, blood and urine tests, and an electrocardiogram (EKG). At three separate clinic visits, participants are given either gabapentin or a placebo (an inactive look-alike capsule). They take placebo at one visit, 600 mg of gabapentin at another visit, and 1200 mg of gabapentin at another visit. One hour after taking the capsules, the amount of GABA in the brain is measured by MRS. For this procedure, the subject lies on a table that moves into the MRI scanner (a narrow cylinder), wearing earplugs to muffle loud knocking and thumping sounds that occur during the scanning process. The procedure lasts about 45 to 60 minutes, during which the patient is asked to lie still for up to a few minutes at a time.

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

Prefrontal GABA; Stress; Emotion Recognition; Differential Reward; Gabapentin; GABA; Prefrontal Cortex; Emotional Processing; Healthy Humans; Healthy Volunteer; HV

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Family history of mental illness (mood and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, substance abuse disorders) will be obtained in all 1st degree relatives using the Family Interview of Genetic Studies.
• Healthy Control Samples: 34 healthy subjects (ages 18-60) without a known personal or family history of psychiatric disorders in first-degree relatives will be selected.

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnant females will be excluded due to the potential risk of magnetic field exposure during pregnancy.
• If any subject appears incapable of providing informed consent, they will be excluded from the study.
• Subjects must not have taken centrally active medication for at least 3 weeks prior to the study.
• Subjects must exhibit no or only moderate alcohol use.
• Subjects beyond age 60 are excluded because of slower elimination of GBP in older adults, and the age-related increase in brain structural abnormalities.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): lead

Study Sites (1)

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Petroff OA. GABA and glutamate in the human brain. Neuroscientist. 2002 Dec;8(6):562-73. doi: 10.1177/1073858402238515.

  PMID: 12467378 BACKGROUND

• McDonagh J, Stephen LJ, Dolan FM, Parks S, Dutton GN, Kelly K, Keating D, Sills GJ, Brodie MJ. Peripheral retinal dysfunction in patients taking vigabatrin. Neurology. 2003 Dec 23;61(12):1690-4. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000098938.80082.25.

  PMID: 14694031 BACKGROUND

• Petroff OA, Hyder F, Rothman DL, Mattson RH. Effects of gabapentin on brain GABA, homocarnosine, and pyrrolidinone in epilepsy patients. Epilepsia. 2000 Jun;41(6):675-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.2000.tb00227.x.

  PMID: 10840398 BACKGROUND

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Sponsor Type: NIH

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 19, 2004
• First Posted: October 20, 2004
• Study Start: October 14, 2004
• Study Completion: September 3, 2010
• Last Updated: July 2, 2017

Record last verified: 2010-09-03

Locations

US (1)