CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOR

描述：此申请是竞争续订的重新提交 研究降胆固醇药物对人体健康影响的建议 心理功能。当前的国家健康政策建议 广泛的血清胆固醇降低。然而，人们对此知之甚少。 潜在的认知、情感和行为后遗症 降胆固醇治疗。最初的主要目标是 项目是确定通过一种常见的药物降低胆固醇 (洛伐他汀)引起行为、认知或情绪的改变，相对于 接受安慰剂治疗的对照组。结果表明，使用 洛伐他汀在一系列认知指标上的表现恶化 功能，特别是注意力和精神运动速度的测量。至 确定这些发现是否值得公共卫生关注， 降低胆固醇的认知后遗症现在需要在 代表日常生活的复杂任务的背景。 在一项双盲、安慰剂对照的临床研究中，300名健康 患有高胆固醇血症的成年人将被随机分配到三组中的一组 治疗条件：辛伐他汀5 mg/d，辛伐他汀40 mg/d， 和安慰剂--为期六个月。该计划的主要目标 建议的研究是评估降胆固醇对健康的影响 患者在施加复杂认知要求的任务中的表现 类似于日常生活中经常遇到的情况。这个 测试电池的组成有：1)汽车驾驶(模拟)，2) 日常记忆测试，3)就业前能力和表现测试，4) 社会认知和行为(通过标准化情景进行评估 演示文稿和重要其他评级)，以及5)标准 神经心理测试(用于与先前的结果进行比较)。对.的使用 两种治疗强度将允许检查剂量反应。 降胆固醇程度与认知功能的关系 性能。

DESCRIPTION: This application is a resubmission of a competing continuation proposal to study the effects of cholesterol-lowering medications on psychological functions. Current national health policy recommends widespread serum cholesterol reduction. However, little is known regarding the potential cognitive, affective, and behavioral sequelae of cholesterol-lowering treatments. The principal objective of the initial project was to determine whether cholesterol lowering by a common medication (lovastatin) caused alterations in behavior, cognition or mood, relative to placebo-treated controls. The results indicate that treatment with lovastatin worsens performance across a range of indices of cognitive functioning, particularly measures of attention and psychomotor speed. To determine whether these findings warrant public health concern, the cognitive sequelae of cholesterol lowering now require re-examination in the context of complex tasks representative of daily life. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical investigation, 300 healthy adults with hypercholesterolemia will be randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions -- simvastatin 5 mg per day, simvastatin 40 mg per day, and placebo -- for a period of six months. The principal objective of the proposed research is to evaluate the effects of cholesterol lowering on patients' performance on tasks that impose complex cognitive demands that are analogous to situations encountered frequently in everyday life. The components of the test battery are: 1) automobile driving (simulation), 2) everyday memory tests, 3) pre-employment aptitude and performance tests, 4) social cognition and behavior, (evaluated by standardized scenario presentation and significant other ratings), and 5) standard neuropsychological tests (for comparison with prior results). The use of two treatment intensities will permit examination of the dose-response relationship between the degree of cholesterol lowering and cognitive performance.