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Effect of Affective Content on Drug Induced Amnesia of Episodic Memory

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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00142493
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : September 2, 2005
Last Update Posted : December 24, 2015
Sponsor:
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Study Description
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Brief Summary:
The purpose of this research is to understand how some of the drugs commonly used in anesthesia impair memory. We are particularly interested in whether the emotion associated with a memory influences how well these drugs are able to block memory. We are studying four commonly used drugs-propofol, thiopental, midazolam, and dexmedetomidine, all of which may have slightly differing effects. We will also study an inactive substance, called a placebo, that should have no effect. The results of this study will provide information that will be useful in understanding how memory works, how these drugs affect memory, and possibly why some people don't have their memory blocked as easily as others.

Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Memory Losses Amnesia-Memory Loss Drug: Propofol Drug: Thiopental Sodium Drug: Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride Drug: Midazolam Hydrochloride Drug: placebo Phase 1

Detailed Description:

The protocol "Effect of Affective Content on Drug Induced Amnesia of Episodic Memory" investigates the relationship between the ability of affective ('emotional') content to modulate the formation of episodic memory, and the memory impairment ('amnestic') effects of several common intravenous anesthetic drugs. Because memory modulation by affective content appears to be a distinct memory process, the underlying question is whether drugs that impair memory via different mechanisms will have differing effects on memory modulation. Specifically, the objectives are: (1) To study the influence of three GABAergic agents (thiopental, propofol, and midazolam) and one α2-adrenergic agent (dexmedetomidine) on the ability of affective content to modulate the strength of episodic memory; and (2) To study whether the subliminal ('consciously imperceptible') presentation of emotional words can influence memory for visual stimuli shown immediately after the subliminal presentation.

A maximum of eighty volunteers will receive sub-anesthetic doses of one of the four study drugs, or placebo, while performing a visual continuous recognition task ('CRT') of pictures with randomly varying affective load. Drug effect on affective modulation of working and early long-term memory behavior will be examined by analyzing which images are and are not recognized during the CRT. Drug effect on affective modulation of later long-term memory will be examined by analyzing which images are recognized several hours after presentation.

In a second experiment, emotive and non-emotive words are subliminally presented immediately before the presentation of a 'bland' picture. The ability of the subliminally presented word to influence memory will be examined by analyzing which bland images are recognized several hours later.

Three hypotheses are tested:

The memory impairment effected by GABAergic drugs will be stronger for memory of emotively positive images than for memory of emotively negative images

The memory impairment effected by dexmedetomidine will be similar for memory of emotively positive and negative images

Recognition memory for neutral, non-arousing images will be greater if the image is immediately preceded by the subliminal presentation of an emotively arousing word than if it is preceded by an emotively non-arousing word

Study Design
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Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Actual Enrollment : 79 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Effect of Affective Content on Drug Induced Amnesia of Episodic Memory
Study Start Date : September 2004
Actual Primary Completion Date : August 2008
Actual Study Completion Date : August 2008

Resource links provided by the National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus related topics: Memory

Arms and Interventions
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Arm Intervention/treatment
Experimental: 1 Drug: Propofol
1.2ug/ml
Experimental: 2 Drug: Thiopental Sodium
2.0ug/ml
Experimental: 3 Drug: Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride
0.5ng/ml
Experimental: 4 Drug: Midazolam Hydrochloride
60ng/ml
Placebo Comparator: 5 Drug: placebo
intralipid, saline, saline with multi-Vit solution


Outcome Measures
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Primary Outcome Measures :
  1. To study the influence of three GABAergic agents (thiopental, propofol, and midazolam) and one α2-adrenergic agent (dexmedetomidine) on the ability of affective content to modulate the strength of episodic memory [ Time Frame: over a two day period ]

Secondary Outcome Measures :
  1. To study whether the subliminal ('consciously imperceptible') presentation of emotional words can influence memory for visual stimuli shown immediately after the subliminal presentation [ Time Frame: over a two day period ]

Eligibility Criteria
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Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years to 50 Years   (Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy normal volunteers, age 18 to 50 years *,who show no evidence of neurologic deficit on questionnaire and physical examination.
  • Females must be non-pregnant as demonstrated using a serum pregnancy test.
  • Right hand dominant.
  • High school education or above.
  • English as native language or equivalent degree of fluency. *Age group selected based on pharmacokinetic models for drug infusion, and norms for standardized memory tests.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any evidence of neurologic deficit including seizures, severe head trauma resulting in unconsciousness, or any previously abnormal study of CNS - (e.g. MRI, EEG, etc.)
  • Any deficit in auditory or visual ability.
  • Any history of hypertension (resting BP >150 systolic, >100 diastolic) or taking anti- hypertensive medication or cardiovascular disease.
  • Significant pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal, or endocrine metabolic disease which in the opinion of the investigator would complicate the goals of this study.
  • Allergy to propofol or eggs.
  • History of acute intermittent porphyria in subject or subject's blood relatives.
  • History of substance abuse
  • Currently taking centrally acting medications (e,g, benzodiazepines or anti depressants)
  • Subjects whose body weight relative to their height exceeds accepted criteria for defining obesity in the general population (Body Mass Index > 30). Excess weight can affect the pharmacodynamics of the drug in the body.
  • Anyone who, in the opinion of the investigators, would be unwilling or unable to tolerate the procedures and/or comply with the task instructions.
Contacts and Locations
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Information from the National Library of Medicine

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00142493


Locations
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United States, New York
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York, United States, 10021
Sponsors and Collaborators
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Investigators
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Principal Investigator: Kane O. Pryor, M.D. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
More Information
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Additional Information:

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Responsible Party: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00142493    
Other Study ID Numbers: 04-087
First Posted: September 2, 2005    Key Record Dates
Last Update Posted: December 24, 2015
Last Verified: December 2015
Keywords provided by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center:
Episodic Memory
Amnesia
Amnesia, Temporary
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
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Memory Disorders
Amnesia
Neurobehavioral Manifestations
Neurologic Manifestations
Nervous System Diseases
Neurocognitive Disorders
Mental Disorders
Midazolam
Dexmedetomidine
Thiopental
Propofol
Hypnotics and Sedatives
Central Nervous System Depressants
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Anesthetics, Intravenous
 Anesthetics, General
Anesthetics
Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
Analgesics
Sensory System Agents
Peripheral Nervous System Agents
Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists
Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
Adrenergic Agonists
Adrenergic Agents
Neurotransmitter Agents
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Adjuvants, Anesthesia
Anti-Anxiety Agents
Tranquilizing Agents