Functional Relevance of Dopamine Receptors in Healthy Controls and Patients With Schizophrenia: C… (NCT00942981) | Clinical Trial Compass
CompletedNot Applicable
Functional Relevance of Dopamine Receptors in Healthy Controls and Patients With Schizophrenia: Characterization Through [11C]NNC-112 and [18F]Fallypride Positron Emission Tomography
United States283 participantsStarted 2009-11-13
Plain-language summary
Background:
* Some illnesses, such as schizophrenia, have effects on brain cells called dopamine receptors, which are required for normal brain function. People with schizophrenia have difficulty thinking and experience hallucinations and delusions. Medications that change brain dopamine receptors can decrease these hallucinations and delusions.
* The cause of schizophrenia and its association with brain dopamine receptors is not known but may be clarified by studying dopamine receptors in people who have dopamine disorders (such as schizophrenia) and those who do not. Researchers are interested in studying the dopamine system to gain a better idea of how dopamine disorders develop, which may lead to better medical care for people with schizophrenia.
Objectives:
\- To study the amount and distribution of two types of dopamine receptors.
Eligibility:
* Individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who have schizophrenia.
* Healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 90.
Design:
* Participants will undergo a full screening, with physical and psychological history, a neurological examination, and blood and urine samples.
* Participants will have a blood flow map of the brain recorded with a positron emission tomography (PET) brain scan. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan will also be performed to determine brain anatomy.
* To study the amount and distribution of dopamine receptors in the brain, participants will receive a small amount of a radioactive chemical in the vein, followed by a PET scan.
* The procedure will be performed twice in two separate sessions, once for \[18F\]fallypride and once for \[11C\]NNC-112.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years – 90 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Exclusion criteria
Subjects will be excluded if they don t fit the study requirements regarding age, ability to provide informed consent, absence of significant general medical, neurological or psychiatric disorders (except the disorder object of study), or intake of substances that
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1This study used PET scans with radioactive tracers called [11C]NNC-112 and [18F]Fallypride to measure dopamine receptor activity in the brain — could you explain what those results might mean for understanding my schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder diagnosis?
2Since this trial is already completed and involved healthy volunteers as well as people with schizophrenia, is there published data from it that you've seen, and does any of it change how you think about my dopamine system and treatment options?
3This was a research study measuring brain receptor levels rather than testing a treatment — does participating in or reviewing research like this have any practical impact on the medications or therapies you'd recommend for me?
4The study involved PET imaging with radioactive tracers, which exposes participants to radiation — if there were any follow-up studies like this that I might be eligible for, how would you weigh that radiation exposure against any potential benefit of having that information about my brain?
5Since this trial focused on dopamine D1 and D2/3 receptors, which are also targeted by many antipsychotic medications, is there anything about how my current or planned medications interact with those receptor types that I should understand?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Brain dopamine D1 and D2/3 receptor regional binding potentials