Investigating Minocycline as a Modulator of Perceived Stress Among Chronically Stress Adults (2024)

Undergraduate: Melinda Somers

Faculty Advisor: Keely Muscatell
Department: Psychology and Neuroscience

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Chronic stress is a pervasive issue in today’s society, leading to increased incidence of_x000D_
chronic illness and mental health disorders. Due to the impact that stress takes on the body, in_x000D_
particular on the immune system, inflammation is of interest when investigating the link between_x000D_
stress and health. Neuroinflammation specifically is suggested to mediate the link between_x000D_
psychosocial stress and cognitive outcomes so that individuals facing chronic stress are predicted_x000D_
to have higher levels of inflammation in the brain. Due to the challenges of studying_x000D_
neuroinflammation in human subjects, we used a pharmacological intervention as a method to_x000D_
evaluate the psychological impacts of attenuating neuroinflammation in individuals facing_x000D_
chronic stress. As a model of chronic stress, healthy unemployed adults were recruited to_x000D_
complete a double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled design with a five-day intervention of_x000D_
minocycline, a tetracycline-class antibiotic with anti-neuroinflammatory properties. Individuals_x000D_
reported levels of perceived stress over the five-day medication period. Overall, stress levels_x000D_
were lower in the minocycline condition as compared to the placebo. These results indicate that_x000D_
minocycline may be capable of mitigating psychological symptoms of stress, especially in_x000D_
individuals with no diagnosed psychiatric conditions. Consistent with prior work implicating_x000D_
neuroinflammation in stress-induced cognitive decline, these findings show promise for the use_x000D_
of anti-neuroinflammatories in preventing negative health outcomes associated with chronic_x000D_
stress.