Acute Plasma Abeta Responses to Stress

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · Aug 26, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how brief periods of stress can affect levels of a protein called amyloid-beta in healthy adults. Amyloid-beta is linked to Alzheimer's disease, and researchers want to understand if stress can quickly change its levels in our blood. By looking at this, the study hopes to learn more about how stress might influence the risk of developing Alzheimer's in the future.

To participate, you need to be a healthy adult between the ages of 18 and 100, weigh at least 110 pounds, and have no ongoing health issues or medications that could affect your body's stress response. Participants will undergo a specific stress test, where they might be filmed, and their blood will be drawn to measure amyloid-beta levels. It's important to note that participants should not have any history of fainting during blood draws and must be comfortable being filmed during the study. If you meet these criteria and are interested, this trial could provide valuable insights into the relationship between stress and Alzheimer's disease.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Healthy adult weighing at least 110 pounds
• • No chronic conditions or illness
• • Taking no medications or drugs that might alter the stress response (e.g., corticosteroids, beta-blockers, and others)
• • Not using any hormone-containing medication (e.g., hormonal contraceptives, hormone replacement, etc.)
• • No contraindications for cold pressor test exposure (high blood pressure, heart disease, dysrhythmia, peripheral vascular disease, any other cardiovascular disorder, diabetes, vasculitis, lupus, tingling or numbness in the hands and/or feet, cryoglobulinemia, and Reynaud's phenomenon)
• • No history of fainting during blood draws
• • No phobia of having their blood drawn
• • No general history of fainting or seizures
• • Not currently diagnosed with a mood disorder (e.g., major depressive disorder)
• • Not pregnant in the past 12 months
• • Not lactating in the past 12 months
• • Not trying to become pregnant if premenopausal
• • Experienced natural menopause if postmenopausal
• • Be non-smokers
• • Be fluent in English
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • - Unwilling to be filmed during the stress task OR unwilling to sign the waiver allowing their filmed responses to be used in scientific presentations