Endogenous Opioid Mechanisms for Rejection Sensitivity

NCT02189785 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: R01MH102264
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 114
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This project hypothesizes that the brain's opioid system determines rejection sensitivity, a personality trait that is a vulnerability factor and feature of several psychiatric disorders. This project will use positron emission tomography to measure the brain's opioid response to social rejection and acceptance in a nonclinical population with varying levels of rejection sensitivity. The results will provide the first major step towards understanding a neurotransmitter mechanism for rejection sensitivity, allowing for further investigation into predicting and treating its associated disorders.

Conditions

Rejection Sensitivity

Keywords

social; rejection; acceptance; PET; opioid; fMRI; reward; exclusion

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mu-opioid binding potential

  This study will measure levels of radiotracer (carbon-11-labeled carfentanil) binding to the mu-opioid receptor in the brain using positron-emission tomography (PET). Primary regions of interest include: the amygdala, anterior insular cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens, and thalamus. All structures will be examined bilaterally. Differences in binding potential (Bmax/Kd) for the radiotracer will be compared across different experimental conditions (e.g., neutral, positive, negative social feedback).

  within 30 days of informed consent

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• fMRI blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response

  within 30 days of informed consent

• Plasma cortisol

  within 30 days of informed consent

Study Arms (1)

Healthy Controls

Healthy men and women ages 18-25 years

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy Controls

You may qualify if:

• Men and women age 18-25 (inclusive)
• Right-handed
• Native English speaker
• Not currently in a romantic relationship
• Willing and able to participate in a PET scan

You may not qualify if:

• Not on hormonal birth control
• Not pregnant
• Consume less than 5 cigarettes per week and less than 14 alcoholic drinks per week, on average
• No use of recreational or street drugs in the past two years (e.g. marijuana)
• Willing to abstain from alcohol and/or tobacco for 48 hours
• No major untreated medical problems
• Never diagnosed with a psychiatric or neurological disorder
• Potential problems with having an MRI scan (claustrophobia, metal objects, etc.)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stony Brook University: lead
• University of Michigan: collaborator
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

Location

Biospecimen

Retention: SAMPLES WITH DNA

saliva, whole blood, blood plasma

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Rejection, Psychology

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Social Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• David T Hsu, Ph.D.

  Stony Brook University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE ONLY
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 11, 2014
• First Posted: July 15, 2014
• Study Start: August 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: June 6, 2019
• Study Completion: June 6, 2019
• Last Updated: October 22, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-10

Locations

US (1)