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Dual Orexin Antagonism and Emotion and Affective Processing Study

NCT07267559 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 62

Last updated 2026-03-19

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

In this study, the investigators will examine the effects of blocking the orexin system on human behaviour and brain function using daridorexant, a medication that inhibits orexin activity. Orexin is a brain chemical involved in regulating sleep, emotion, motivation, and stress responses, which are often disrupted in mental health disorders. Healthy volunteers will be randomly assigned to receive a single dose of daridorexant or placebo in a double-blind design. Participants will then complete behavioural and cognitive tasks assessing emotional processing, aversive learning, and executive function. The study aims to clarify the role of orexin in emotional and cognitive processes relevant to conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Conditions

  • Learning
  • Cognitive Functioning
  • Emotional Processing

Interventions

DRUG

Daridorexant 50 mg

Acute (single dose) daridorexant encapsulated in an opaque capsule. Oral administration. Daridorexant (brand name Quviviq) is FDA-approved for the treatment of insomnia in adults.

OTHER

Placebo

Lactose film-coated tablet will be encapsulated in an opaque capsule (identical to the experimental arm drug).

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Oxford

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Catherine J Harmer, DPhil · University of Oxford

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-10-01
Primary Completion
2026-09-01
Completion
2026-10-01

Countries

  • United Kingdom

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 NCT07267559 on ClinicalTrials.gov