Lithium Effects on Reward Processing and Reappraisal in Healthy Volunteers

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2012-09-04
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Bipolar disorder has been associated with blunted activity in regions associated with emotional processing, such as striatal activity during reward anticipation as well as prefrontal activity during reappraisal. Lithium is the most effective treatment in bipolar disorder. Neurochemical and molecular basis of lithium is well known, but how this translates to mood stabilisation is not understood. This study is designed to address how lithium influences reward and emotion regulation processes in humans.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Oxford
• Treatments: Lithium Carbonate

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subject is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.

• Subject is between 18 and 55 years of age

• Subject has a body mass index (BMI) in the range of 19-30

• Subjects will be physically fit, as assessed by a physical examination by a medical doctor.

• if female and of child bearing age must have a negative pregnancy test for inclusion and must be using two forms of effective contraception.

• Subjects will be fluent English speakers

• Thyroid stimulating hormone and creatinine will be assessed pre-treatment to ensure that these are within healthy range

• non or light smoker < 5 cigarettes per day

• right handed

Exclusion Criteria:

• taking psychotropic medication

• any past or current axis 1 psychiatric disorder on DSM-IV

• Any medical contra-indication (for example, conditions that might alter absorption of lithium or which could impact on the safety of the druk for the volunteer, for example impaired renal function as assessed by creatinine levels or impaired thyroid function as assessed by thyroid stimulating hormone levels)

• Current pregnancy or breastfeeding

• Current or past history of drug or alcohol dependency

• Participant in a psychological or medical study involving the medication within the last 3 months

• Smoker > 5 cigarettes per day

• Dyslexia

• Any contra-indication to MRI scanning, for example chance of metal in the body

• Left-handed