Neuroimaging Mechanisms by Which Memory and Glucocorticoids Promote Risky Drinking

Yale University

Status and phase

Completed

Early Phase 1

Conditions

Long-term Memory

Episodic Memory

Drinking Behavior

Alcohol Drinking

Treatments

Other: Placebo

Drug: Hydrocortisone 20 MG

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04896489

2000026404

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine whether hydrocortisone biases formation of alcohol-related memories to potentiate drinking.

Full description

This study aims to 1) Characterize the effect of elevated glucocorticoids during encoding on long-term memory for alcohol-related information; 2) Identify the neural mechanisms by which glucocorticoids influence encoding of alcohol-related experiences; and 3) Determine how glucocorticoid modulation of alcohol-related encoding relates to drinking after retrieving alcohol-related memories.

Enrollment

27 patients

Sex

All

Ages

21 to 45 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Able to read and write English
BMI 18-35
Beer drinking

Exclusion criteria

Meet current criteria for any substance use disorder, excluding caffeine
Current significant medical conditions or psychiatric symptoms requiring medication
Current use of medications/drugs that interfere with the HPA axis response
Peri and post-menopausal women, pregnant or lactating women, and those with hysterectomies
Metal in body (for MRI safety)
Systemic fungal infections (contraindication for hydrocortisone)
Known hypersensitivity to components of hydrocortisone tablets (hydrocortisone, calcium stearate, corn starch, lactose, mineral oil, sorbic acid, sucrose)