Could a tiny blood molecule reveal how addiction rewires the brain?
NCT ID NCT07830680
First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026
Summary
Researchers at Nantes University Hospital are studying whether adults with food addiction or sexual addiction have different levels of a blood molecule called miR-10a-5p compared with healthy adults of similar age and sex. The study enrolls 28 participants, including patients already in care and healthy controls. Everyone gives one blood sample, which researchers analyze to compare microRNA expression and look for links between these molecules and clinical symptoms. The goal is to understand the biology of behavioral addictions and whether microRNAs could serve as future biomarkers.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If researchers find a distinct microRNA pattern in people with food or sexual addiction, it could point toward a future blood test or a new target for treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This small pilot study only looks for a correlation in blood samples, so it cannot prove that microRNAs cause or drive these behaviors. Any pattern found may not hold up in larger groups.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 28 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Patients with food or sexual addiction, compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls with no current addictive disorder.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria For patients with FA: * Male and females ≥ 18 years old * Already in care or newly initiating care * Participating to EVALADD cohort * Current diagnosis of FA * Oral consent provided * Affiliated with French social security system or beneficiary from such system For healthy controls matched to patients with FA: * Male and females ≥ 18 years old * Oral consent provided * Affiliated with French social security system or beneficiary from such system For patients with SA: * Male ≥ 18 years old * Already in care or newly initiating care * Participating to EVALADD cohort * Current diagnosis of SA * Oral consent provided * Affiliated with French social security system or beneficiary from such system For healthy controls matched to patients with SA: * Male ≥ 18 years old * Oral consent provided * Affiliated with French social security system or beneficiary from such system Exclusion Criteria : For patients with FA: * Presence of a current diagnosis of SA * Presence of any current addictive disorder (substance \[except tobacco\] use disorders, gambling disorder, gaming disorder) * Presence of any current instable psychiatric disorder (requiring the initiation or adapation of medication) * Pregnancy or breastfeeding woman * Trusteeship or curatorship * Major cognitive impairment * Not fluent in French For patients with SA: * Presence of a current diagnosis of FA * Presence of any current addictive disorder (substance \[except tobacco\] use disorders, gambling disorder, gaming disorder) * Presence of any current instable psychiatric disorder (requiring the initiation or adapation of medication) * Trusteeship or curatorship * Major cognitive impairment * Not fluent in French For healthy controls: * Without a current diagnosis of FA * Without a current diagnosis of SA * Presence of any current addictive disorder (substance \[except tobacco\] use disorders, gambling disorder, gaming disorder) * Presence of any current instable psychiatric disorder (requiring the initiation or adapation of medication) * Pregnancy or breastfeeding woman * Trusteeship or curatorship * Major cognitive impairment * Not fluent in French
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Nantes University Hospital
Nantes, France
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