Exploring Learning and Unlearning of Fear

Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Status: Withdrawn

Conditions: Healthy Individuals

Treatments: Drug: Lactose pill; Drug: d-Cycloserine; Genetic: Saliva sample; Other: Functional neuroimaging (fMRI)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01512316

IMDCSACQEXT

Details and patient eligibility

About

The present study investigates the effect of d-cycloserine on learning and unlearning of fear in healthy humans and its underlying effect on the amygdala.

As a second objective, the effect of genotype on fear learning will be studied.

Full description

A growing body of evidence suggests that the extinction of fear is mediated by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activity in the basolateral amygdala. Intra-amygdala infusions of antagonists of this glutamate receptor in small animals (eg: rats, mice) have demonstrated a blockage of fear acquisition and extinction. Agonists, on the other hand, facilitate conditioned fear extinction.

The animal studies are all based on the simple fear learning paradigm of conditioning. However, it is not clear that human anxiety disorders are based on prior conditioning encounter. Therefore it is important to disentangle the effect of DCS on acquisition and extinction in the context of a simple learning paradigm, particular its effect on the human amygdala.

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 40 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• No axis I diagnosis compatible with the DSM-IV by means of a structured diagnostic interview
• Right-handed

Exclusion criteria

• Current psychopharmacological or psychological treatment.
• The presence of a physical/medical condition that may interfere with the study.
• A contraindication for the use of DCS
• Pacemaker, medication pump (such as insulin pump), hearing aid, removable prosthodontics
• Metal in or on body (such as acupuncture needles, artificial limbs, stents, metal splints, clips, implanted electrodes, tattoos, or piercings)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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0 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

d-Cycloserine Acquisition

Active Comparator group

Description:

d-Cycloserine will be given on day1, before acquisition

Treatment:

Other: Functional neuroimaging (fMRI)

Genetic: Saliva sample

Drug: d-Cycloserine

d-Cycloserine Extinction

Active Comparator group

Description:

d-Cycloserine will be administered on day2, before extinction

Treatment:

Other: Functional neuroimaging (fMRI)

Genetic: Saliva sample

Drug: d-Cycloserine

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

A placebo pill will be administered on day1 and 2

Treatment:

Drug: Lactose pill

Other: Functional neuroimaging (fMRI)

Genetic: Saliva sample