NCT00885131

Brief Summary

Background:

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures of the brain. Some MRI studies suggest that this technique reveals brain differences in patients with a nervous system illness when compared to adults without a nervous system illness. Objectives:
  • To study functional changes in the brain that may be observed in people without any nervous system illness.
  • To learn more about which areas of the brain are necessary to perform certain tasks, especially learning simple motor sequences and processing rewards. Eligibility:
  • Healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 50 who are right-handed and are native English speakers, and who have no medical conditions that would prevent them from undergoing magnetic imaging.
  • Volunteers must not have a history of neurological or psychiatric illnesses.
  • Female volunteers must not be pregnant. Design:
  • Volunteers will be asked to undergo different types of magnetic imaging, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and/or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), while participating in either a slot machine simulation or a key sequence learning task.
  • Volunteers will participate in one of four possible experiments:
  • Experiment 1: MRS/TMS and slot machine (3 visits, 3.5 hours in total).
  • Experiment 2: MRS/TMS and key sequence (3 visits, 3.5 hours in total).
  • Experiment 3: fMRI and slot machine (2 visits, 3 hours in total).
  • Experiment 4: fMRI and key sequence (1 visit, 2 hours in total).
  • Experiment types:
  • Slot machine: A computer game like a slot machine, where the user presses a button to start the game and watches as the three barrels of the machine spin into place.
  • Key sequence: Pressing a series of buttons in response to visual cues.
  • Volunteers will also be asked to give a small blood sample for genetic testing.
  • Volunteers will be paid a small amount of money (approximately $50 $80) during the experiments in compensation for their participation in the study.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
64

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for all trials

Timeline
Completed

Started Apr 2009

Typical duration for all trials

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

April 15, 2009

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 18, 2009

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 21, 2009

Completed
3.8 years until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

January 22, 2013

Completed
Last Updated

December 9, 2019

Status Verified

January 22, 2013

First QC Date

April 18, 2009

Last Update Submit

December 6, 2019

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

Reward ProcessingMotor CortexHVHealthy Volunteer

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • The outcome measures will be (a) graded changes in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) in response to motor learning and reward and (b) variations in GABA concentration in response to motor learning and reward.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • The secondary outcome measures will be variations in response time in the behavioral performance of a learning task.

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 50 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • Age 18-50.
  • Right handed.

You may not qualify if:

  • Significant neurological or psychiatric history
  • Habitual consumption of more than two drinks a day, marijuana more than once a week or any other illicit drug use within the last three months
  • Use of medication affecting the DA system, such as phenothiazine antihistamines (promethazine), antiemetics or decongestants within the last month
  • Significant abnormality on neurological examination
  • Metal in the cranial cavity or eye, pacemaker, implanted pumps or stimulators
  • Subjects who participate in any one experiment in this protocol may not participate in another experiment in this protocol.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

  • Arancio O, Chao MV. Neurotrophins, synaptic plasticity and dementia. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2007 Jun;17(3):325-30. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2007.03.013. Epub 2007 Apr 6.

    PMID: 17419049BACKGROUND

  • Ashe J, Lungu OV, Basford AT, Lu X. Cortical control of motor sequences. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2006 Apr;16(2):213-21. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2006.03.008. Epub 2006 Mar 24.

    PMID: 16563734BACKGROUND

  • Avanzi M, Uber E, Bonfa F. Pathological gambling in two patients on dopamine replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease. Neurol Sci. 2004 Jun;25(2):98-101. doi: 10.1007/s10072-004-0238-z.

    PMID: 15221629BACKGROUND

Study Officials

  • Eric M Wassermann, M.D.

    National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
observational
Time Perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Sponsor Type
NIH

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 18, 2009

First Posted

April 21, 2009

Study Start

April 15, 2009

Study Completion

January 22, 2013

Last Updated

December 9, 2019

Record last verified: 2013-01-22

Locations

US(1)