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Study of the Effects of Atomoxetine on Motivation

NCT07771595 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 40

Last updated 2026-08-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study investigates how increasing noradrenaline levels with atomoxetine affects motivation and information processing relevant to apathy. Apathy, characterised by low motivation and reduced goal-directed behaviour, is common across neuropsychiatric disorders and is associated with poorer outcomes. Atomoxetine, a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, has been shown to influence effort, reward learning, and decision-making; however, its effects on cognitive processes relevant to apathy remain unclear.

This study will investigate how pharmacologically increasing noradrenaline levels with atomoxetine affects different components of motivation altered in apathy, including reward processing, effort-based decision-making, goal-directed behaviour, and learning.

In a within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study, forty healthy participants with varying levels of apathy will complete a computerised task battery after receiving a single dose of atomoxetine (40 mg) and placebo. Validated tasks assessing motivation, reward learning, decision-making, goal-directed behaviour, and information processing will be used to examine whether and how atomoxetine influences motivation-related cognitive processes.

Conditions

  • Apathy

Interventions

DRUG

Atomoxetine

Acute (single dose) of Atomoxetine (40mg). Oral administration. Atomoxetine is FDA approved for the treatment of ADHD in adults and children.

OTHER

Placebo

Sucrose pillules will be encapsulated in an opaque capsule (identical to the experimental drug).

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Catherine J Harmer, DPhil · University of Oxford

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-08-31
Primary Completion
2027-10-31
Completion
2027-10-31

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Entities

Companies

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 NCT07771595 on ClinicalTrials.gov