The Influence of Glutamate on Memory in Humans

University Hospital Bonn (UKB)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Individuals

Treatments: Drug: Sugar pill; Drug: Memantine; Drug: Glutamic Acid

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00980408

RH999

Details and patient eligibility

About

The hippocampus is particularly laden with n-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and is at the same time one of the most important sites in declarative memory. The rationale of this study is that the NMDA partial agonist D-Cycloserine will promote learning compared to a placebo. On the other hand, the NMDA receptor antagonist Memantine might lead to reduced memory. We believe that the influence of NMDA receptors on memory can be determined via acute co-activation of the NMDA receptors with Cycloserine® (King Pharmaceuticals Ltd, active ingredient: DCycloserin, dose: 250 mg) and Memantine (Axura®, Merz, active ingredient: Memantine, dose: 20 mg)on both a behavioral and functional (fMRI) level.

Enrollment: 120 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• German native language or native language level
• Able to give written informed consent
• right-handed

Exclusion criteria

• inability to give written informed consent, underaged minors, contractually incapable persons, persons in legal custody
• any psychiatric, neurological or internal illness
• hematoporphyria (enzyme sickness)
• intake of medication (except oral contraceptives)
• simultaneous participation in other clinical studies
• hypersensitivity to Memantine or other anti-dementia substances, or to D-Cycloserine
• alcohol abuse
• epilepsy
• depression
• serious anxiety or psychosis
• serious kidney insufficiency
• intake of Ethionamide or Isoniazide
• pregnancy or women who are nursing
• liver or kidney problems
• intake of NMDA-antagonists, such as Amantadine, Ketamine, or Dextromethorphan
• vegetarians
• stomach ulcer, if treated with medication
• renal tubular acidosis
• urinary infections (with proteus bacteria)
• recent heart attack, heart failure, or uncontrolled high blood pressure
• intake of L-Dopa, dopaminergic agonists, and anticholinergics
• intake of barbiturates, spasmolytics, Phenytoin, Amantadine, oral coagulators, warfarin, HCT (Hydrochlorothiazide)
• heart or cranial operations
• 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)
• claustrophobia

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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120 participants in 8 patient groups, including a placebo group

Sugar pill, behavioral glutamic acid

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Placebo condition for D-Cycloserine

Treatment:

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Sugar pill, fMRI, glutamic acid

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Placebo condition for D-Cycloserine, fMRI

Treatment:

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Sugar pill, memantine, behavioral

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Placebo condition Memantine, behavioral

Treatment:

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Sugar pill, memantine, fMRI

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Placebo condition Memantine, fMRI

Treatment:

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

Drug: Sugar pill

D-Cycloserine behavioral

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Drug: Glutamic Acid

Drug: Glutamic Acid

D-Cycloserine, fMRI

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Drug: Glutamic Acid

Drug: Glutamic Acid

Memantine, behavioral

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Drug: Memantine

Drug: Memantine

Memantine, fMRI

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Drug: Memantine

Drug: Memantine