A nose-brain pathway for psychotropic peptides: evidence from a brain evoked potential study with cholecystokinin

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at Cholecystokinin (CCK) and Sincalide.

The access of substances to the brain is of particular relevance for the etiology and treatment of psychiatric and neurologic diseases.

This study provides functional evidence for a direct access of peptides to the human brain after intranasal administration.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 20 subjects were involved.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Because people in this Cholecystokinin (CCK) study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Blinding on both sides kept the subjects and researchers unaware of who received Cholecystokinin (CCK).

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Cholecystokinin (CCK) could be set against what happens without it.

In the crossover set-up each of the subjects took both Cholecystokinin (CCK) and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Arousal, Brain, Cerebral Cortex, Electroencephalography, Evoked Potentials, Auditory and Hydrocortisone.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Cholecystokinin (CCK) and Sincalide in 20 subjects.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1996 (Psychoneuroendocrinology), a journal based in England.

More context: the Cholecystokinin (CCK) compound page and the Sincalide compound page, all human trials.