Differences by Sex and Genotype in the Effects of Stress on Executive Functions

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2020-08-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The aim of this project is to test the effects of an environmental factor (mild stress) on prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the cognitive functions that depend on PFC (collectively called executive functions [EFs]), and to test our predictions concerning how those effects differ by biological factors (hormones and genotype). To test our hypotheses concerning mechanism, the investigators will model the effects of mild stress on EFs pharmacologically. The purpose is to pharmacologically model the effects of mild stress on the cognitive functions (collectively called "executive functions" [EFs]) dependent on the frontal lobe. The investigators would also like to investigate how gender differences and genotype mediate the effect of methylphenidate (MPH) on EFs.

• Phase: Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of British Columbia
• Collaborator: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Treatments: Ascorbic Acid; Methylphenidate; Vitamins

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Between the ages of 20 and 35 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• a neurological impairment or disorder, learning disability, or psychological syndrome that might affect EF performance (such as ADHD)

• inability to understand the task instructions (which are in English), or difficulty hearing the instructions, seeing the stimuli, or executing a manual response.

• a serious adverse event during pregnancy or birth.

• an injury (such as a head injury with loss of consciousness) that might affect EF performance.

• a major trauma that might affect current EFs and stress responsivity

• undue current life stress level

• taking any medication that affects thinking, memory, mental clarity, or any other EF ability.

• taking any medication that influences circulating gonadal hormone levels (such as oral contraceptives [birth control pill]).

• having taken such medications within the preceding four months.

• smokers

• use of recreational drugs or consumption of alcohol 24 hours prior to the testing sessions

• women without a period that occurs roughly every month (predicting the onset of the next menses in women who don't have their period monthly is difficult)

• women who are pregnant or who are nursing.

• having the eye problem glaucoma

• having a heart condition

• being anxious, tense or agitated

• taking or have taken within the past 14 days an anti-depression medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor or MAOI.

• taking pressor agents (for hypotension treatment)

• taking coumarin anticoagulants

• taking anticonvulsants (phenobarbital, diphenylhydantoin, primidone)

• taking phenylbutazone (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug)

• taking tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine, desipramine)

• taking cold or allergy medicine that contain decongestants

• being allergic to anything in either the MPH or Vitamin C capsules (methylphenidate HCL, ascorbic acid, lactose, gelatin, Titanium dioxide, D&C Red #28, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Red #40)