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Midlife stress may reveal secrets of brain aging

NCT ID NCT06029348

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study looks at how brief mental stress affects heart function and brain health in 450 adults aged 40-60. Participants complete two sessions: one with stress tests and heart monitoring, another with brain scans and memory tests. The goal is to understand links between stress responses and early signs of brain aging, like white matter changes. No treatment is given; this is an observational study to gather knowledge.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 450 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Oct 2023

Expected to finish

Jun 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

40 to 59 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Able to attend 2 study visits at the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland (Pennsylvania) * Able to read and speak English Exclusion Criteria: * Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure \>160 or diastolic blood pressure \>100 mmHg) * Current use of anticonvulsant, anti-Parkinson, neuroleptic, or antipsychotic medications * Current use of glucocorticoids (e.g., oral prednisone) or ephedrine * Current chronic conditions of the lungs, liver and kidney, as well as cancer (chemotherapy and radiation) treatment in the past 12 months (allowances are made for non-melanoma skin cancer treatment, controlled asthma, and allergy inhalers) * Self-reported major neurological disorders or brain injuries (e.g., multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, major head injury) * Self-reported psychotic illnesses (mania, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) * Current pregnancy or childbirth within the past 6 months * Suspected mild cognitive impairment or dementia * Self reported sleep apnea * Self-reported history of myocardial infarction, stroke, or revascularization procedures, as well as treatment for cardiac arrhythmias * Self-reported lack of comfort to undergo MRI testing * Presence of implants or objects that are unsafe for MRI (e.g., tattooed eyeliner), as well as any other contraindications that would prevent MRI testing * Self-reported lack of comfort to undergo the laboratory math task

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cardiovascular disorder cerebrovascular disorder Stress, Psychological

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cardiovascular diseases Cerebrovascular disorders Psychological stress

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Pittsburgh

    RECRUITING

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

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