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Dopamine and Insulin in Psychosis
Sponsor: Medical University of Vienna
Summary
Patients with schizophrenia have a high risk of developing metabolic disorders and current evidence points to an overlap in mechanisms underlying psychiatric symptoms and metabolic disturbances. The main goal of this study is to investigate effects of brain insulin on dopamine signaling and energy metabolism in patients with schizophrenia experiencing their first psychotic episode (FEP). To this end, patients with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers will undergo two \[11C\]-(+)-PHNO positron emission (PET) scans to measure the changes in dopamine receptor availability after nasally applied insulin, as well as single proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to assess the impact of intranasal insulin on levels of glucose and glutamate in the hippocampus.
Official title: Dopamine and Insulin in Psychosis: Imaging the Effects of Intranasal Insulin on Dopamine Transmission
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 40 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
46
Start Date
2026-01-01
Completion Date
2029-01-01
Last Updated
2025-11-28
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Intranasal Insulin
160 IU intranasal insulin is administered using precision air pumps twice: 15 min prior to the PET scan and 35 min prior to the 1H-MRS scan
Placebo
Insulin-free dilution buffer is administered using precision air pumps 15 min prior to the PET scan
Low dose insulin infusion
2.5 mU/kg insulin in 100 ml isotonic saline is infused intravenously over 15min prior to PET scan when placebo is administered intranasally
Placebo infusion
100 ml saline is infused intravenously over 15min prior to PET scan when insulin is administered intranasally
[11C] (+)-4-propyl-(+)-4-propyl-9-hydroxynaphthoxazine (PHNO)
Each participant undergoes a 90-min \[11C\]-(+)-PHNO scan twice
Locations (1)
Medical University of Vienna
Vienna, Austria