Yohimbine, Emotional memory, EMDR, Eye movements, Noradrenalin, β
Conditions
Interventions
1. Yohimbine 20mg or placebo
2. Memory recall + eye movements, memory recall only, no recall.
Sponsors
Utrecht University
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Passing the medical screening (blood pressure and heart rate examination and interview); 2. Age 18-50. 3. Written informed consent 4. Normal or corrected-to-normal vision 5. Body Mass Index (BMI) between 17.5 and 26 6. In females: the use of reliable contraceptives (birth control pills or a hormonal intrauterine device)
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Systolic blood pressure over 140 mmHg, diastolic over 90 mmHg, and heart rate >100 beats per minute (bpm) 2. Familiarity with mechanisms behind EMDR 3. Inability to adequately read or speak Dutch 4. Known sensitivity to yohimbine 5. Lifetime history of psychiatric disorder (depression, mania, psychosis, anxiety) 6. Lifetime history of neurological disease (attention/memory problems and disorders, epilepsy, convulsions) 7. Lifetime history of any cardiovascular problem, coronary insufficiency, congestive heart failure, heart block, bradycardia, myocardial infarction, hypotension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, renal disorders, liver disorders, uraemia, hyperthyroidism, acidosis 8. Early age cardiovascular problems in first degree family members 9. Fainting easily (can be indicative of cardiovascular problems) 10. Use of any contraindicative medication: - Medication that decreases blood pressure, or cardiac contractility or conductivity - Medication for migraine, dizziness, asthma, tuberculosis, psoriasis - Medication that lowers blood sugar levels - Anti-inflammatory painkillers - Anti-depressives - Anti-psychotics - Anxiolytics - Antacids 11. A score of ≥ 26 on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) (Peterson & Reiss, 1992) (in order to eliminate individuals who might have difficulty with any temporary symptoms induced by the yohimbine manipulation).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The emotionality and vividness of recollected memories at pretest (baseline), posttest (after medication intake and each experimental manipulation) and after 24 hour follow-up measured with HR, SC, a 4-minute memory recall task, a VAS for emotionality, and a VAS for vividness. | — |
Contacts
Public ContactM. Littel
Utrecht University Faculty of Social Sciences Dep. Clinical & Health psychology Heidelberglaan 1
Outcome results
None listed