Study of Daridorexants Effects on Emotion and Learning in Healthy Adults Aged 18 to 40

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how blocking the orexin system in the brain affects behavior and brain function in healthy adults. The focus is on daridorexant, a drug that inhibits orexin activity, which plays a role in sleep, emotions, motivation, and stress responses. This research aims to improve understanding of emotional and cognitive processes relevant to conditions like depression and anxiety by observing effects in a controlled setting. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive a single oral dose of either daridorexant 50 mg or a placebo in a double-blind design. After dosing, they will complete various behavioral and cognitive tasks that assess emotional processing, aversive learning, executive function, and other related functions. These tasks include the Pavlovian Aversive Learning Task and the Affective GoNo-Go Task, among others, conducted within a few hours after drug administration. During the study visit, participants will undergo computer-based assessments and biological measurements such as pupilometry and salivary alpha amylase levels to monitor changes after treatment. Researchers will evaluate computational parameters and behavioral performance on the tasks to understand the drugs impact. Participation involves a single visit with careful monitoring and adherence to study restrictions, such as avoiding alcohol and certain activities before and after the visit. The study is conducted in healthy volunteers aged 18 to 40 years.

Dual Orexin Antagonism and Emotion and Affective Processing Study