How stress changes the brain's energy use and connectivity
Official title: Impact of Acute Stress and Its Habituation on Brain Energy Metabolism
Run by Medical University of Vienna · NCT06243783 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study will test whether acute and repeated stress change how the brain uses glucose and alters directional connectivity in healthy adults aged 18 to 40.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 40 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 68 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Medical University of Vienna Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | radiation |
| Locations | 1 site (Vienna) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 1, 2024 |
| Main results expected | February 29, 2028 |
| Study ends | February 29, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | December 23, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06243783 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy, right-handed adults aged 18–40 who can undergo PET/MRI, are not pregnant or breastfeeding, have no history of psychiatric, neurological, or substance use disorders, and weigh 105 kg or less are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with current psychiatric or neurological disorders, those taking psychotropic medications, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, or those seeking direct therapeutic benefit rather than research data are unlikely to receive direct benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
In 68 healthy volunteers, researchers will perform two simultaneous PET/MRI scans one week apart while exposing participants to the Montreal Imaging Stress Test. Functional [18F]FDG-PET will measure stress-specific glucose metabolism and MRI will provide structural and functional connectivity data, with cognitive effects probed using an n-back working memory task. Cortisol levels will be collected to classify individuals as stress responders or non-responders and as habituators or non-habituators. Directional connectivity analyses will combine metabolic and fMRI data to map network changes, with particular attention to regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify metabolic and connectivity markers that help predict who is vulnerable to stress and inform more personalized approaches to preventing or treating stress-related disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown stress-related metabolic and connectivity changes, but combining dual PET/MRI to map individual directional connectivity and metabolic responses is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 18-40 years * right-handedness * willingness and competence to sign the informed consent form Exclusion Criteria: * History of or current physical, neurological or psychiatric disorder * History of or current substance abuse or medication, including antipsychotic, antidepressant and antianxiety agents * Pregnancy of current breast-feeding * Contraindications for MRI-scanning (e.g., metal implants, steel grafts, etc.), including dental implants causing signal artifacts * For subjects participating in earlier studies using ionizing radiation, the total radiation exposure of 30 mSv over the last 10 years must not be exceeded, as specified in the Austrian legislation on radiation protection Accordingly, body weight \> 105 kg is an exclusion criterion. * Failure to comply with the study protocol or to follow the instructions of the investigating team.
Where it's running
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Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna
Vienna, Austria Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Andreas Hahn, Assoc.Prof. — Department of Psychiatry and Psychtherapy, Medical University of Vienna
- Study coordinator: Andreas Hahn, Assoc.Prof.
- Email: andreas.hahn@meduniwien.ac.at
- Phone: +43140400
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.