L-dopa/Carbidopa
Patients and healthy controls will receive one time administration of L-dopa/Carbidopa (100/25 mg).
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A large body of evidence on depression heterogeneity point to an "immunometabolic" subtype characterized by the clustering of immunometabolic dysregulations with atypical behavioral symptoms related to energy homeostasis. Motivational and motor impairments reflected by symptoms of anhedonia and psychomotor retardation in major depression are closely related to alterations in energy homeostasis, are associated with increased inflammation, and may be a direct consequence of the impact of inflammatory cytokines on the dopamine system in the brain. In the proposed project, the investigators will examine the effect of dopamine stimulation on motivation and motor function in patients with major depression and healthy controls and the role of inflammation using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. If successful, this study would provide crucial evidence that pharmacologic strategies that increase dopamine may effectively treat inflammation-related symptoms of anhedonia and psychomotor retardation in major depression.
Locally preserved from ClinicalTrials.govOpen ClinicalTrials.govlast source update 2026-03-18
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Registry facts
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Interventions
Patients and healthy controls will receive one time administration of L-dopa/Carbidopa (100/25 mg).
Patients and healthy controls will receive one time administration of Placebo.
Eligibility
primary outcomes
Time frame: All participants will be tested on two separate experimental sessions separated by an interval of 48 hours, after L-dopa/Carbidopa or placebo.
The PRT, which uses a signal detection paradigm, will be used to measure response bias, the propensity to select the more rewarded response ("rich").
Time frame: All participants will be tested on two separate experimental sessions separated by an interval of 48 hours, after L-dopa/Carbidopa or placebo.
The dual task mean gait speed will be measured with six wearable inertial measurement units. In this dual task, participants walk at their usual speed while naming as many animals as possible.
secondary outcomes
Time frame: All participants will be tested on two separate experimental sessions separated by an interval of 48 hours, after L-dopa/Carbidopa or placebo.
The EEfRT, a widely used, multi-trial task in which participants are given an opportunity on each trial to choose between two different task difficulty levels in order to obtain monetary rewards, will be used as an objective measure of reward motivation. The EEfRT is reported as the percent of high effort (hard) trials selected. A higher percentage reflects higher motivation for effort expenditure.
Time frame: All participants will be tested on two separate experimental sessions separated by an interval of 48 hours, after L-dopa/Carbidopa or placebo.
The RTI from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) will be used to assess movement time, which is the time taken to touch the stimulus on the computer screen after the press pad had been released.
Time frame: All participants will be tested on two separate experimental sessions separated by an interval of 48 hours, after L-dopa/Carbidopa or placebo.
In the Risky Decision-Making Task, participants have to make choices between a risky option and a safe alternative. Risk Propensity, the proportion of risk-taking trials, will be a secondary outcome.
Time frame: After administration of placebo on Day 2 or Day 3.
Time frame: After administration of placebo on Day 2 or Day 3.
Time frame: After administration of placebo on Day 2 or Day 3.
Time frame: After administration of placebo on Day 2 or Day 3.
other outcomes
Time frame: All participants will be tested on two separate experimental sessions separated by an interval of 48 hours, after L-dopa/Carbidopa or placebo.
The RVP from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) will be used to assess performance speed (mean latency for correct responses) and accuracy (target sensitivity score).
Time frame: At baseline on Day 1.
Publications
No exact PMID-linked public article is currently readable locally.