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NOT YET RECRUITING
NCT07252752
NA

Dopamine and Insulin in Psychosis

Sponsor: Medical University of Vienna

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

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

Interventions

DRUG

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

DRUG

Placebo

Insulin-free dilution buffer is administered using precision air pumps 15 min prior to the PET scan

DRUG

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

DRUG

Placebo infusion

100 ml saline is infused intravenously over 15min prior to PET scan when insulin is administered intranasally

RADIATION

[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