None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
One’s ability to self regulate or control their behaviour is important for human function, and recent studies have suggested that self-control is a depletable resource. When participants perform two consecutive tasks that require self-control, their performance on the second task is worse than when people perform a task that does not require self-control followed by a self-control task. This phenomenon is referred to as resource-depletion. Although previous studies have shown that methylphenidate can improve various aspects of self-control, its effects on resource depletion are unknown. We will give methylphenidate to healthy individuals to investigate its effect on cognitive performance following resource depletion. We will also measure cardioviascular responses, cortisol levels and record electroencephalography (EEG) to study the neural processes associated with resource depletion, and those influenced by methylphenidate.
Interventions
A single oral dose of methylphenidate (40 mg) capsule and a placebo lactose tablet will be administered to healthy adults to investigate the neurochemical basis of self-control. All participants will receive all conditions of treatment over two separate sessions. The two testing sessions will be separated by at least one week to allow for drug washout. The order in which each participant receives the two treatment conditions is randomised and blinded. No abnormal condition or disease is being in
A single oral dose of methylphenidate (40 mg) capsule and a placebo lactose tablet will be administered to healthy adults to investigate the neurochemical basis of self-control. All participants will receive all conditions of treatment over two separate sessions. The two testing sessions will be separated by at least one week to allow for drug washout. The order in which each participant receives the two treatment conditions is randomised and blinded. No abnormal condition or disease is being investigated as part of this study. The medications in this study are already approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Sponsors
The University of Melbourne
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Crossover
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Healthy adults
Exclusion criteria
Previous personal or first-degree family history of psychiatric or neurological disorders or suicidality, impairments in vision or audition, hepatic or cardiac function (including diagnosed hypertension), pregnancy or breastfeeding, previous intolerance or hypersensitivity to methylphenidate or related medications, current or recent (last 2 weeks) use of psychotropic medication, psychoactive substances or any other medications known to interact with methylphenidate. Participants will also be excluded if their blood pressure is found to be above 140/100 and remains above this level for fifteen minutes.
Outcome results
None listed