Serotonin and oxytocin play a role in fear conditioning and fear extinction learning, psychological processes that are critically involved in psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Specifically, administration of oxytocin has been shown to facilitate fear extinction in humans. Similarly, substances that release serotonin and oxytocin such as MDMA have been shown to enhance the extinction of fear memory in animals. However, there are no data on the effects of MDMA on fear extinction in humans. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to investigate the role of acute serotonin release in the effects of fear extinction. MDMA will be used as pharmacological tool to induce serotonin release in this study.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
30
125 mg MDMA per os, single dose
Capsules containing mannitol looking identical to the other drugs.
Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, University Hospital Basel
Basel, Switzerland
Fear extinction measured by Skin conductance response
a) Skin conductance response to conditioned stimuli
Time frame: 12 months
Fear extinction measured by Fear-potentiated startle
b) Fear-potentiated startle to conditioned stimuli
Time frame: 12 months
Plasma concentration of Oxytocin
Time frame: 12 months
Subjective effects measured by Visual analog scales
Visual analog scales, 0-100, 0 for 'not at all' and 100 for 'extremely'
Time frame: 12 months
Autonomic effects measured by Blood pressure
Autonomic effects measured by vital signs
Time frame: 12 months
Autonomic effects measured by Hearth rate
Autonomic effects measured by vital signs
Time frame: 12 months
Autonomic effects measured by Body temperature
Autonomic effects measured by vital signs
Time frame: 12 months
Subjective effects measured by State-trait anxiety inventory for state (STAI-S)
Time frame: 12 months
Plasma concentration of MDMA
Time frame: 12 months
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