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The Role of Dopaminergic and Noradrenergic Neurotransmission in Value- and Salience-based Decision-Making

NCT04371146 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 120

Last updated 2020-05-01

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Approach versus avoidance decisions are at the centre of adaptive behaviour and survival. These decisions are thought to be guided by the value of the choice options, which are a function of the magnitude of predicted rewards and punishments. Moreover, the allocation of attention to choice options is thought to be driven by salience, i.e. the overall importance of the predicted outcomes. While salience increases with the magnitude of both predicted rewards and predicted punishments, value increases with reward but decreases with punishment. In previous research, value and salience have often remained confounded during value-based decision making. Rodent research suggests that value is associated with dopamine and salience with norepinephrine. The present study aims at disentangling value from salience processing during decision-making tasks in healthy subjects by administering dopamine or noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors. This is done by using a single dose challenge in a randomized placebo-controlled between subject's design, administering either methylphenidate (35 mg), reboxetine (8 mg), or placebo to healthy young participants before they perform tasks tapping into various aspects of value and salience.

Conditions

  • Healthy

Interventions

DRUG

Methylphenidate

35 mg methylphenidate (Ritalin®) is administered once using a randomized placebo-controlled between subject's design

DRUG

Reboxetine

8 mg Reboxetine (Edronax®) is administered once using a randomized placebo-controlled between subject's design

DRUG

Placebos

A placebo pill is administered once using a randomized placebo-controlled between subject's design

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Zurich

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Philippe Tobler, PhD · University of Zurich

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-07-03
Primary Completion
2020-02-13
Completion
2020-02-13

Countries

  • Switzerland

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04371146 on ClinicalTrials.gov