Semaglutide and Cognition in Healthy Volunteers

Summary

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA). It is a safe medication approved for use in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Primarily, it works by counteracting insulin-resistance and inducing weight loss. It also acts on several other interconnected neurobiological, immunological (esp. inflammatory), endocrine-metabolic, and gut-brain axis processes that play a role in depressive symptoms. Its effects on cognition and energy are currently unknown. In this study we are using semaglutide as an experimental tool to further investigate these relationships.

Timeline

Start

2024-06-06

Primary completion

2024-12-11

Completion

2024-12-11

Publications

• Background Collins L, Costello RA. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists. 2024 Feb 29. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551568/
• Background Detka J, Glombik K. Insights into a possible role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of depression. Pharmacol Rep. 2021 Aug;73(4):1020-1032. doi: 10.1007/s43440-021-00274-8. Epub 2021 May 18.
• Background O'Neil PM, Aroda VR, Astrup A, Kushner R, Lau DCW, Wadden TA, Brett J, Cancino AP, Wilding JPH; Satiety and Clinical Adiposity - Liraglutide Evidence in individuals with and without diabetes (SCALE) study groups. Neuropsychiatric safety with liraglutide 3.0 mg for weight management: Results from randomized controlled phase 2 and 3a trials. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2017 Nov;19(11):1529-1536. doi: 10.1111/dom.12963. Epub 2017 Jul 21.
• Background Pozzi M, Mazhar F, Peeters GGAM, Vantaggiato C, Nobile M, Clementi E, Radice S, Carnovale C. A systematic review of the antidepressant effects of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) functional agonists: Further link between metabolism and psychopathology: Special Section on "Translational and Neuroscience Studies in Affective Disorders". Section Editor, Maria Nobile MD, PhD. This Section of JAD focuses on the relevance of translational and neuroscience studies in providing a better understanding of the neural basis of affective disorders. The main aim is to briefly summaries relevant research findings in clinical neuroscience with particular regards to specific innovative topics in mood and anxiety disorders. J Affect Disord. 2019 Oct 1;257:S0165-0327(19)30593-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.05.044. Epub 2019 May 28.
• Background Mansur RB, Ahmed J, Cha DS, Woldeyohannes HO, Subramaniapillai M, Lovshin J, Lee JG, Lee JH, Brietzke E, Reininghaus EZ, Sim K, Vinberg M, Rasgon N, Hajek T, McIntyre RS. Liraglutide promotes improvements in objective measures of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with mood disorders: A pilot, open-label study. J Affect Disord. 2017 Jan 1;207:114-120. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.09.056. Epub 2016 Oct 1.
• Background Moulton CD, Pickup JC, Amiel SA, Winkley K, Ismail K. Investigating incretin-based therapies as a novel treatment for depression in type 2 diabetes: Findings from the South London Diabetes (SOUL-D) Study. Prim Care Diabetes. 2016 Apr;10(2):156-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2015.06.003. Epub 2015 Jun 29.
• Background Harmer CJ, Shelley NC, Cowen PJ, Goodwin GM. Increased positive versus negative affective perception and memory in healthy volunteers following selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibition. Am J Psychiatry. 2004 Jul;161(7):1256-63. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.161.7.1256.
• Background Harmer CJ, Duman RS, Cowen PJ. How do antidepressants work? New perspectives for refining future treatment approaches. Lancet Psychiatry. 2017 May;4(5):409-418. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30015-9. Epub 2017 Jan 31.
• Background Godlewska BR, Harmer CJ. Cognitive neuropsychological theory of antidepressant action: a modern-day approach to depression and its treatment. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021 May;238(5):1265-1278. doi: 10.1007/s00213-019-05448-0. Epub 2020 Jan 15.
• Background Hamer JA, Testani D, Mansur RB, Lee Y, Subramaniapillai M, McIntyre RS. Brain insulin resistance: A treatment target for cognitive impairment and anhedonia in depression. Exp Neurol. 2019 May;315:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.01.016. Epub 2019 Jan 26.
• Background Pessiglione M, Seymour B, Flandin G, Dolan RJ, Frith CD. Dopamine-dependent prediction errors underpin reward-seeking behaviour in humans. Nature. 2006 Aug 31;442(7106):1042-5. doi: 10.1038/nature05051. Epub 2006 Aug 23.
• Background Bonnelle V, Veromann KR, Burnett Heyes S, Lo Sterzo E, Manohar S, Husain M. Characterization of reward and effort mechanisms in apathy. J Physiol Paris. 2015 Feb-Jun;109(1-3):16-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2014.04.002. Epub 2014 Apr 18.
• Background Amsterdam JD, Settle RG, Doty RL, Abelman E, Winokur A. Taste and smell perception in depression. Biol Psychiatry. 1987 Dec;22(12):1481-5. doi: 10.1016/0006-3223(87)90108-9. No abstract available.
• Background Harmer CJ, O'Sullivan U, Favaron E, Massey-Chase R, Ayres R, Reinecke A, Goodwin GM, Cowen PJ. Effect of acute antidepressant administration on negative affective bias in depressed patients. Am J Psychiatry. 2009 Oct;166(10):1178-84. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09020149. Epub 2009 Sep 15.
• Background Colwell, M. J., Murphy, S., & Harmer, C. J. (2022). Emotional Go/No-Go Task (Oxford) (Psychopy). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6207865
• Background KIRCHNER WK. Age differences in short-term retention of rapidly changing information. J Exp Psychol. 1958 Apr;55(4):352-8. doi: 10.1037/h0043688. No abstract available.
• Background Halahakoon DC, Kaltenboeck A, Martens M, Geddes JG, Harmer CJ, Cowen P, Browning M. Pramipexole Enhances Reward Learning by Preserving Value Estimates. Biol Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 1;95(3):286-296. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.023. Epub 2023 Jun 15.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.