NCT07267559

Dual Orexin Antagonism and Emotion and Affective Processing Study

An Investigation of the Effects of Dual Orexin Antagonism on Emotional Processing and Learning in Healthy Individuals

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 62 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Oxford · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

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

Type	Name	Description
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).

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-10-01
• Primary completion: 2026-09-01
• Completion: 2026-10-01
• First posted: 2025-12-05
• Last updated: 2026-03-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom