Overview
The main aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of orally administered Losartan on bottom-up and top-down attentional control to socio-emotional stimuli by combining a validated saccade/antisaccade eye-tracking paradigm with a randomized between-subject placebo-controlled pharmacological trial design.
Description
Animal models and initial findings in humans suggest that the angiotensin II antagonist Losartan may have neuroprotective effects and could potentially enhance cognitive functions, including valence-specific attention and regulatory control. Within this context the present study aims to examine whether angiotensin II blockade via Losartan modulates top-down and bottom-up attentional control towards socio-affective stimuli. To this end, healthy individuals will undergo a double-blind, between-subjects, placebo-controlled pharmaco-eye-tracking experiment and receive a single oral dose of Losartan (50 mg) or placebo before performing a saccade/anti-saccade task 90 minutes after administration. The task paradigm will encompass social (happy, angry, fearful, sad and neutral faces) and non-social (oval) stimuli to examine general as well as social and emotion-specific effects of oral losartan.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
Healthy subjects who volunteer to participate and are able to fully understand and agree
with this study by written informed consent.
Normal or corrected-normal version
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of neuropsychiatric diseases.
- History of cardiac disease, including arrhythmias, aortic stenosis, or congestive
heart failure; history of syncope or unexplained loss of consciousness.
- History of hepatic diseases, including cholestasis, biliary obstructive disease, or
severe liver dysfunction.
- History of renal diseases, including renal stones or renal failure.
- History of hyponatremia(Serum sodium <135mmol/L) or hyperkalemia (Serum
potassium>5.5mmol/L); history of diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus
- Known hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to any medication or hormone; strong
allergic reaction to food.
- Infections such as COVID-19 or influenza, or unexplained fever.
- Subjects with hypertension (BP ≥130/80mmHg) or hypotension (BP ≤ 90/60mmHg).
- History of alcohol or drug abuse; smoker (≥ 10 cigarettes or ≥ 3 cigars or ≥ 3
pipes/day); smoker using e-cigarettes.
- Blood donation (≤ 1 month prior to administration).
- Take oral contraceptives or receive hormonal medications in the three months prior to
the experiment.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding.