Fear Conditioning
Conditions
Keywords
Fear Conditioning, Cannabinoids, Fear Response
Brief summary
The purpose of this double blind, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study is to test the effects of cannabinoid receptor augmentation on the facilitation of fear conditioning. On three days over not more than two weeks, subjects will be trained to associate cues with two different stimuli, then this association will be extinguished. Cannabinoid receptor stimulation will be accomplished indirectly by harnessing the brain's capacity to endocannabinoids through the administration of an enzyme (FAAH inhibitor) that prevents degradation of anandamide. Subjects will receive placebo or the FAAH-inhibitor PF-04457845. Some details of this study have not been disclosed to preserve the study design.
Interventions
DRUGPF-04457845
Acquisition of conditioning Administration of drug Extinction of conditioning
DRUGPlacebo
Acquisition of conditioning Administration of placebo Extinction of conditioning
Sponsors
Yale University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Between the ages of 18 and 65 * Male and female * No major medical problems
Exclusion criteria
* Hearing problems * Psychiatric or mental problems
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Galvanic skin response | Test days #1, #2, and #3, on average a week | Measure of sympathetic autonomic activation |
| Cortisol levels measured in blood | Test days #1, #2, and #3, on average a week | Salivary b-amylase and serum cortisol levels will be assessed as neurochemical measures of stress response. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed