NCT02020408

Monoamine Contributions to Neurocircuitry in Eating Disorders

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 88 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of California, San Diego · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study will use brain imaging technologies to measure several neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine) that contribute to our abilities to respond to reward or inhibit our impulses, and which are known to be altered in the brain of people with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Because palatable food stimulates dopamine secretion, we propose to use a challenge with brain imaging that will stimulate dopamine release which we hypothesize will generate anxiety rather than pleasure in AN, and will help explain why AN restrict eating in order to reduce anxiety. This study will help to understand the unique puzzling symptoms in eating disorders and contribute to finding better methods for identifying effective treatments for these often relapsing and sometimes chronic disorders.

Detailed description

Alterations of serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) activity may contribute to extremes of appetitive behaviours in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), through effects on inhibitory and reward neural pathways. To avoid the confounding effects of malnutrition, and because they have behaviours and neural circuit alterations relevant for this study, we will study 25 recovered (REC) restricting-type AN, 25 REC bulimic-type AN (AN-BN), 25 REC BN, and 25 control women (CW). This 5 year study, of women 18 to 45 years old, will employ positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with radioligands for the 5-HT transporter (\[11C\]DASB) and DA D2/D3 receptors (\[11C\]raclopride).

Conditions

• Eating Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	[11C]raclopride	1.\[11C\]raclopride -The change (Δ) in BPND (the difference between the \[11C\]raclopride BPND at baseline and post-AMPH treatment normalized to the baseline BPND
DRUG	[11C]DASB	BPND of \[11C\]DASB.
DRUG	amphetamine	The change (Δ) in BPND (the difference between the \[11C\]raclopride BPND at baseline and post-AMPH treatment normalized to the baseline BPND.

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-05-01
• Primary completion: 2017-12-31
• Completion: 2017-12-31
• First posted: 2013-12-24
• Last updated: 2020-04-27
• Results posted: 2020-04-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States