Pharmacologic Modulation of Hippocampal Activity in Psychosis
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2020-08-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The purpose of this study is to test whether administration of levetiracetam (LEV), a
commonly used anti-epileptic that alters neurotransmitter release, can reduce hippocampal
hyperactivity. Specifically, we will utilize two functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
techniques: 1) blood oxygen level dependence (BOLD) contrast will assess activity with a
visual scene processing task that engages the anterior hippocampus and 2) arterial spin
labeling (ASL) will assess baseline activity. This study will also assess whether patients
have improvement in their symptoms after receiving LEV. Previous studies in people with
psychotic disorders have shown that the hippocampus is hyperactive and more activity
correlates with worsening of clinical symptoms. Therefore, the aim of this study is to use an
intervention to further understand the underlying mechanisms of the hippocampus in psychosis.