Dopaminergic Modulation of Cognition and Psychomotor Function

Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC)

Status

Completed

Conditions

Episodic Memory Consolidation

Response Preparation

Dopamine Activity

Treatments

Drug: Methylphenidate 40 mg

Drug: Domperidon 10 mg

Drug: Levodopa/carbidopa 125 mg

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT01218425

10-3-056

Details and patient eligibility

About

A recent study at our lab showed increased episodic memory consolidation and response readiness after treatment with methylphenidate in healthy volunteers. The investigators seek to replicate and extend these findings. Furthermore the pharmacological specificity of these effects will be studied. Since methylphenidate has an effect on two neurotransmitters, dopamine and noradrenaline, either could be responsible for the observed effects. In order to explore the dopaminergic contribution to this effect, the study proposed here includes not only methylphenidate but also levodopa/carbidopa, which only affects dopamine and not noradrenaline.

In this study, 20 healthy males and females between 18 and 45 years of age will participate. They will be recruited via advertisements at Maastricht University and in local newspapers.

Participants will be treated once with methylphenidate, once with levodopa/carbidopa and once with placebo. All medications will be administered orally with a capsule.

It is hypothesized that methylphenidate and levodopa/carbidopa will both enhance episodic memory consolidation and improve response readiness

Enrollment

20 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 45 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Male or female
18 to 45 years of age
Healthy (i.e. absence of all exclusion criteria), normal static binocular acuity (corrected or uncorrected),
Body mass index between 18.5 and 30
Willingness to sign an informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

history of cardiac, hepatic, renal, pulmonary, neurological, gastrointestinal, haematological or psychiatric illness.
history of depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, psychosis, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will be excluded from participation.
first-degree relative with a psychiatric disorder or a history with a psychiatric disorder
excessive drinking (>20 glasses of alcohol containing beverages a week
pregnancy or lactation
use of medication other than oral contraceptives
use of recreational drugs from 2 weeks before until the end of the experiment
any condition in which gastrointestinal motility might carry any risk
any sensory or motor deficits which could reasonably be expected to affect test performance