NCT03162185

Serotonin and Motor Plasticity

The Effects of Serotonergic Challenge on Motor Learning and Neuroplasticity

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 20 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

With this study, the investigators aim to test whether acute administration of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) improves motor performance in a sequential motor learning task in comparison to placebo in healthy humans.

Detailed description

Microdialysis findings in animal models provide evidence for a monoaminergic augmentation of motor function. However, this evidence is largely limited to noradrenaline and dopamine, with little evidence to support a similar effect for serotonin. What remains to be tested therefore, is whether acute serotonergic administration induces neural or behavioral changes during motor learning also. Using a sample of 60 female participants (with the possible inclusion of male participants at a later date), the investigators aim to test the effects of a serotonergic challenge on motor learning and plasticity in healthy participants.

Conditions

• Healthy Controls

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Escitalopram	Experimental group participants (n = 30) will receive 20 mg of Escitalopram for 7 days.
DRUG	Placebo	Control group participants (n = 30) will receive a placebo for 7 days.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-04-01
• Primary completion: 2017-11-30
• Completion: 2017-11-30
• First posted: 2017-05-22
• Last updated: 2017-05-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany