The Effects of Acute Administration of Bupropion on Neural Substrates Underlying Hedonic Capacity

Condition(s) targeted: Major Depressive Disorder

Intervention: Bupropion (Drug); Placebo (Drug)

Phase: Phase 1

Status: Completed

Sponsored by: Affective Neuroscience Laboratory

Official(s) and/or principal investigator(s):
Diego A Pizzagalli, PhD, Principal Investigator, Affiliation: Harvard University

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects of a single-dose of Wellbutrin XL (bupropion hydrochloride) on reward processing.

Official title: The Effects of Acute Administration of Bupropion on Neural Substrates Underlying Hedonic Capacity

Study design: Treatment, Randomized, Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Placebo Control, Crossover Assignment

Primary outcome: Whether an acute dose of bupropion vs. placebo differentially affects the neurobiology and behavior of reward processing in depressed participants.

Detailed description: A cardinal feature of Major Depressive Disorder is anhedonia, which is a lack of pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. In order to understand reward processing in depressed individuals it is also necessary to study reward processing in people who are not depressed. Bupropion, the active drug in the anti-depressant Wellbutrin XL, has been shown to increase brain reward functioning in animals. The goal of the present study is to investigate the effects of Wellbutrin XL administered to psychiatrically healthy individuals as they perform a computer task known to assess reward processing.

Minimum age: 18 Years. Maximum age: 64 Years. Gender(s): Both.

Criteria:

Inclusion Criteria:

- Absence of medical, neurological, and psychiatric illness (including alcohol and

substance abuse)

- Non-Smoker

- Right-handed (Chapman and Chapman 1987)

- Ability to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Predisposition to seizure (e. g. family history of a seizure disorder, history of head

trauma) or current use of medications that lower the seizure threshold

- History or current diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia

- Alcohol or substance abuse within the past year

- Current usage of Wellbutrin or Zyban or other drugs that contain bupropion

- Recent discontinuation of alcohol or sedatives (including benzodiazepines)

- Use of (in the last 2 weeks) medications that may have antidepressant properties (ex.

some herbal supplements)

- Known allergies to bupropion

- Currently lactating, pregnant or believe you are likely to be pregnant (enrolled

subjects who are not using reliable contraception and have engaged in sexual intercourse since their last menstrual period will be given a self-administered pregnancy test.)

- Left-handed/ambidextrous

- Evidence of neurological illness

- Serious suicide or homicide risk

Concomitant medications other than those listed in the exclusion criteria will be considered on an individual basis. Oral contraceptives will be allowed.

The Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States

Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States

Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Harvard University

Starting date: April 2005
Ending date: July 2007
Last updated: December 4, 2007