Actively Recruiting
Effects of Caffeine on Reinforcement Learning in Healthy Adults Using PET/MRI
Led by Hsiao-Ying Wey · Updated on 2025-01-09
12
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
189 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
This research study aims to determine whether and how caffeine intake affects learning process through reward feedback compared to placebo. The data acquired from this study would improve our understanding on the consequence and mechanism of caffeine intake in the aspect of learning process. Participants will perform a reinforcement learning task (i.e. Probabilistic Selection Task) and a motor inhibition task (i.e. Go/NoGo task) in a brain scan. The scan will be done with the Siemens Biograph mMR positron emission tomography (PET)/ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 3 Tesla scanner. The PET allows us to see the changes in the "reward signals" - dopamine - in the brain using a radioactive dye called \[11C\]Raclopride. The MRI, on the other hand, enables us to take detailed pictures of the brain activities during cognitive tasks using a high-powered magnet. Reviewing these pictures will help us understand the influence of caffeine on reward signals and brain activities during the learning process.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Effects of Caffeine on Reinforcement Learning in Healthy Adults Using PET/MRI
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age between 18 and 45 years
- Habitual caffeine intake between 100 mg and 450 mg daily
- Non-smokers
- Clinically healthy
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
You will not qualify if you...
- Pregnant or lactating women
- Women using hormonal contraceptives
- Body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 or greater than 29.9
- Sleep disturbances or extreme chronotype
- Positive urine drug test for specific substances including benzoylecgonine, morphine, methamphetamine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methadone, buprenorphine, nortriptyline, MDMA, oxycodone, PCP, propoxyphene, or cannabis/THC
- Diagnosis of depression, anxiety, psychosis, or neurologic disorders within the last 5 years
- Heart or cardiovascular diseases
- Diabetes or other metabolic diseases
- Use of chronic medications such as painkillers or steroids
- Allergy to lactose (main ingredient of the placebo tablet)
- Inability to operate tasks or understand study information in English
- Presence of metallic foreign bodies or implants unsafe for MRI or PET
- Medical conditions increasing risk of seizures or claustrophobia
- Inability to lie flat on the scanner bed for about 90 minutes
- Recent radiation exposure exceeding allowable limits
- Body weight over 300 lbs (MRI scanner limit)
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding without a negative pregnancy test on the PET day
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States, 02129
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
H
Hsiao-Ying Wey, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
TRIPLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
CROSSOVER
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
2
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