Healthy
Conditions
Keywords
modafinil, emotion, cognitive processing
Brief summary
The study aims to examine whether a single dose of modafinil (200mg, p.o.) can affect feedback-based learning and interference processing in healthy male subjects.
Detailed description
Based on previous animal and human research suggesting a catecholamine-mediated, potentially pro-cognitive, mechanism of action of modafinil, the present study seeks to explore effects of modafinil on feedback-based learning and interference processing in healthy subjects. To this end, the present randomized double-blind, between-subject, placebo-controlled pharmaco-fMRI experiment plans to determine the behavioral and neural effects of a single dose of p.o.modafinil (200mg) versus placebo on validated feedback-based learning and emotional/non-emotional cognitive conflict paradigms. To control for potential effects of pre-medication personality traits as well as effects of modafinil on subjective task performance, subjects will be administered pre-treatment assessing relevant personality traits and post-treatment assessments of meta-cognitive confidence estimation.
Interventions
DRUGModafinil Oral Tablet
modafinil 200mg
DRUGPlacebo Oral Tablet
placebo 200mg
Sponsors
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Healthy subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders * Non-smokers * Right-handedness
Exclusion criteria
* Medical or psychiatric illness * Allergy against medications or general strong allergies * Sleep disorders * High blood pressure, general cardio-vascular alterations * History of head injury * Visual or motor impairments
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Neural processing during the interference processing | 4h after treatment | fMRI BOLD indices of neural processing in interference related brain regions will be compared between the treatment and placebo group. |
| Neural processing during feedback based learning | 4h after treatment | fMRI BOLD indices of neural processing learning related brain regions will be compared between the treatment and placebo group. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral interference performance - Response Time | 4h after treatment | Behavioral performance of interference performance for congruent and incongruent stimuli (picture vs word) will be compared between the treatment and placebo group. |
| Behavioral interference performance - Accuracy | 4h after treatment | Behavioral performance of interference in terms of accuracy for congruent and incongruent trials (picture vs word) will be compared between the treatment and placebo group. |
| Behavioral learning performance - Reaction time | 4h after treatment | Learning performance in terms of reaction times will be compared between the treatment and placebo group. |
| Behavioral learning performance - Accuracy | 4h after treatment | Learning performance in terms of accuracy (learning curve, trials to reach plateau) will be compared between the treatment and placebo group. |
Countries
China
Outcome results
None listed