Effects of Semax on the Default Mode Network of the Brain.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Controlled trial comparing Semax to placebo; randomization is not explicitly specified in the abstract.
PubMed 30225715 · doi:10.1007/s10517-018-4234-3
What was done
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used to evaluate default mode network (DMN) topography in 24 healthy volunteers (11 men, 13 women, mean age 43.9 ± 9.5 years). Participants were administered intranasal 1% Semax (n = 14) or placebo (n = 10). Brain imaging was performed at three time points: immediately prior to administration, and at 5 and 20 minutes post-administration.
What was found
Participants receiving Semax exhibited a greater volume of the rostral subcomponent (medial frontal cortex) of the default mode network compared to the placebo group. The abstract did not report exact numerical effect sizes, variances, or p-values.
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary human neuroimaging evidence that intranasally administered Semax alters the functional connectivity and spatial topography of resting-state brain networks involved in default mode processing.
Limits
The study had a very small sample size (n = 24 total, with only 10 placebo controls), short observation window (up to 20 minutes post-dose), and the abstract lacks quantitative statistical values, blinding details, and explicit confirmation of randomization. Functional connectivity changes were not correlated with cognitive or behavioral outcomes.
Cited by
- partial Semax improves cognitive function.