Actively Recruiting
Investigating the Neuropsychological Effects of 5-HT2a Antagonism
Led by University of Oxford · Updated on 2026-04-29
80
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
81 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Serotonin is an important chemical in the brain that helps control mood, sleep, and appetite. Most antidepressant medications work by affecting serotonin to help improve symptoms. A serotonin receptor is like a "lock" on the surface of brain cells, and serotonin acts like a "key" that fits into these locks. When serotonin binds to the receptor, it sends a signal that helps control different functions in the brain, like mood and behavior. There are different types of serotonin receptors, and each one affects different parts of the brain. Pimavanserin is a medication licensed in the United States of America for the treatment of patients with Parkinson's Disease. It has a very specific effect on one type of serotonin receptor (the serotonin 2a receptor). In this study, the investigators will use pimavanserin to understand more about this serotonin receptor, which may help develop new treatments for depression in the future. More specifically, the study will focus on how pimavanserin impacts cognitive functions such as memory, how we process emotional information and how we make decisions, and will compare these effects to a placebo (a treatment that doesn't have active ingredients).
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Investigating the Neuropsychological Effects of 5-HT2a Antagonism
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the research
- Aged 18-45 years
- Good vision and hearing
- Body mass index (BMI) within the range of 18-35kg/m2
- Sufficiently fluent in English to understand tasks
- Willing to avoid drinking any alcohol the day before the research visit
You will not qualify if you...
- Currently receiving or seeking treatment for any mental health condition
- Any past or current history of severe and/or serious psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar affective disorder, severe major depressive disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder
- ADHD requiring treatment with stimulant or other centrally-acting drugs
- Regular alcohol consumption of more than 21 units per week
- A head injury causing concussion or unconsciousness in the past 6 months
- Pregnancy, intention to become pregnant during the study, or breastfeeding
- Any use of recreational drugs in the last three months
- Participation in any other drug study in the last three months
- Participation in any other study with the same tasks in the last year
- History of cardiac disease or cardiac arrhythmias
- Prolonged QTc interval on baseline ECG
- Current use of drugs known to prolong QT interval including certain antibiotics and antiarrhythmics
- Current use of drugs that inhibit CYP3A4 or grapefruit juice consumption in the week before the study
- Current use of psychoactive medication that may interfere with the study
- History or current medical conditions affecting safety or scientific integrity, including epilepsy, brain injury, severe liver or kidney disease, severe gastrointestinal problems, CNS tumors, severe neurological problems
- Any physical, cognitive, or language impairment that would make complying with the study challenging
- Excessive caffeine consumption above specified limits
- Smoking more than 10 cigarettes or equivalent nicotine use per day
- Unlikely to comply with the study protocol or unsuitable as judged by the chief investigator
- Inability to ingest up to 95mg of lactose
- Additional exclusions for sleep study participants: inability to undergo cardiac monitoring, inability to wear sleep patch device for full monitoring, implanted neurostimulator
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
S
Susannah Murphy, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
TRIPLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
2
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