An online experimental medicine trial on the effect of 28-day simvastatin administration on emotional processing, reward learning, working memory and salivary cortisol in healthy volunteers at risk for depression: OxSTEP protocol.
Shona WatersRiccardo De GiorgiAlice M G QuintonAmy L GillespieSusannah E MurphyPhilip J CowenCatherine J HarmerPublished in: BJPsych open (2023)
This is a remote experimental medicine study. One hundred participants across the UK will be recruited and randomised to either 28-day 20 mg simvastatin or placebo in a double-blind fashion. Before and after administration, participants will complete an online testing session involving tasks of emotional processing and reward learning, processes related to vulnerability to depression. Working memory will also be assessed and waking salivary cortisol samples will be collected. The primary outcome will be accuracy in identifying emotions in a facial expression recognition task, comparing the two groups across time.
Keyphrases
- working memory
- transcranial direct current stimulation
- clinical trial
- phase iii
- study protocol
- depressive symptoms
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- double blind
- open label
- sleep quality
- randomized controlled trial
- poor prognosis
- climate change
- placebo controlled
- high intensity
- prefrontal cortex
- long non coding rna
- soft tissue
- virtual reality