Recruiting

How an antidepressant affects the brain's emotional responses

Plain-English translation of NCT06412315 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated February 2025 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

Researchers want to understand how the antidepressant affects how your brain responds to emotional faces. In this study, you'll receive one dose of (or a placebo) and then have your brain scanned using a special high-powered MRI machine while you look at images of faces. This helps scientists see exactly which parts of your brain are activated and how the medication changes that response.

We know that antidepressants work by changing serotonin levels in the brain and can shift how people respond to positive and negative emotions, but scientists don't fully understand the precise brain mechanisms behind this effect. This study will use detailed brain imaging to fill in those gaps in knowledge.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you speak English fluently and can understand the study instructions
you are willing to provide informed consent and participate in the research
you do not have any history of major psychiatric illness or personality disorders
you have not taken any psychiatric medications or psychoactive drugs in the last three months
you do not have metal implants, pacemakers, or other devices that would be unsafe in an MRI machine

You likely don't qualify if…

you have ferromagnetic metal objects in your body (such as metal implants, vessel clips, or shrapnel) or implanted devices like pacemakers
you are currently taking psychiatric medications or psychoactive drugs, or have taken them within the last three months
you have a history of major depression, significant psychiatric illness, or personality disorders
you have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, glaucoma, epilepsy, or other medical conditions that could interact with the medication or affect your safety
you are pregnant, planning pregnancy, breastfeeding, or have used recreational drugs in the last three months

What participation looks like

You will visit the research facility where you'll receive either the medication or a placebo (a dummy pill with no active ingredient). Then you'll undergo a brain scan using a high-resolution MRI machine while viewing images of faces with different emotional expressions. The scan allows researchers to see which brain regions activate and how the medication affects your emotional processing. The study involves a single visit with the scanning session being the main component.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 23, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

United Kingdom

University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry, Oxford, Oxfordshire