Pharmacological Modulation of Hippocampal Activity in Psychosis 2
Status:
Active, not recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-09-20
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 in people with psychotic disorders. Specifically, the investigators will
utilize two functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques: 1)
blood-oxygen-level-dependent (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. 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.