The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of losartan (50mg, single dose) on salience processing
In a double-blind, between-subject, placebo-controlled design the effects of a single dose of losartan (50mg) on salience processing in healthy participants will be examined. The study will adopt a previously validated visual Oddball fMRI paradigm, starting 90 minutes after subjects receive 50mg losartan or placebo. The task requires participants to respond to emotional and novelty oddballs. Neural activity will be assessed by the acquisition of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
90
administration of losartan (50 mg) (oral)
administration of placebo (oral)
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
RECRUITINGNeural activity as measured by BOLD fMRI during processing of emotional and novel stimuli
During the oddball paradigm a series of pictures will be presented in rapid succession. Some of the stimuli are oddballs, with respect to emotional content (highly threatening stimuli) or novelty (novel stimuli). Neural activity will be measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The fMRI data will be examined using a Generalized Linear Model approach. The analysis will examine neural activity in terms of the blood oxygenation dependent (BOLD) response towards threatening and novel oddballs. Effects of treatment on the BOLD response towards threatening and novel oddballs will be examined by comparing the losartan- and placebo-treated subjects.
Time frame: 105 to 145 minutes after treatment administration
Neural activity as measured by BOLD fMRI during processing of different categories of emotional and novel stimuli
The oddball paradigm will include different stimulus categories (animal pictures and human faces). Each category will include oddballs, with respect to emotional content (highly threatening stimuli) or novelty (novel stimuli). Neural activity will be measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The fMRI data will be examined using a Generalized Linear Model approach. The analysis will examine neural activity differences between the stimulus categories (animal pictures, human face pictures) in terms of the blood oxygenation dependent (BOLD) response. Effects of treatment on the BOLD response towards different stimulus categories will be examined by comparing the losartan- and placebo-treated subjects.
Time frame: 105 to 145 minutes after treatment administration
Accuracy for target oddballs
Before the paradigm two stimuli will be designated as 'target' and subjects are required to respond by button press to this target. The accuracy for target detection will be computed. Effects of treatment will be examined by comparing the losartan- and placebo-treated subjects.
Time frame: 105 to 145 minutes after treatment administration
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Reaction times for target oddballs
Before the paradigm two stimuli will be designated as 'target' and subjects are required to respond by button press to this target. The reaction times for correctly identified targets will be computed. Effects of treatment will be examined by comparing reaction times between the losartan- and placebo-treated subjects.
Time frame: 105 to 145 minutes after treatment administration