Antidepressant study probes anger processing in healthy youth
NCT ID NCT07424781
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study at the University of Oxford is testing how the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) influences the way healthy young people process anger. Eighty participants aged 18-24 will take either fluoxetine or a placebo for 7 days and complete tasks involving angry faces, words, and frustrating situations. Researchers will also measure heart rate and facial expressions to understand the drug's effects on anger-related responses.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- fluoxetine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help explain how antidepressants influence emotional responses, potentially improving treatment for depression and irritability.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not patients. Results may not apply to people with depression, and the short 7-day treatment may not reflect real-world use.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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.
- Ages
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18 to 24 years
- 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: * Be aged 18-24 years (inclusive) * Be resident in the UK for the duration of the study * Have normal or corrected to normal vision * Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the research * Sufficiently fluent English to understand and complete the study Exclusion Criteria: The participant may not enter the study if ANY of the following apply: Psychiatric History: * Current or past diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder, as determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 (SCID-5) and self-report. This includes, but is not limited to, depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol or drug dependency, personality disorders, suicidal ideation, and other psychiatric conditions; * First degree relative with a diagnosis of mania; Lifestyle: * Heavy smoker or vaper (\> 10 cigarettes per day, or \>2 mL e-liquid, or \>15mg/day from a nicotine patch); * Heavy use of caffeine (drink \> 4 of 250ml cups/cans of coffee or energy drinks per day); * Heavy drinker (drink \>14 standard alcoholic drinks per week); * Current or recent use (in the last 3 months) of any psychoactive substance according to self-report and a urine drug test screening for recent use of 10 common recreational substances; Physical Health: * Severely underweight or overweight in a manner that renders them unsuitable for the study in the opinion of the study medical advisor; * Known contraindication to fluoxetine, such as hypersensitivity to fluoxetine or any component in its formulation; * Pregnancy, as determined by a urine pregnancy test or plans to become pregnant within the next 3 months; * Breastfeeding; * Not able to consume gelatine; Medical History: * Past or ongoing health issue which, in the opinion of the study medical advisor, may interfere with the safety of the participant or the scientific integrity of the study, including but not limited to: seizures or epilepsy, heart rhythm problem, renal disease, hepatic disease, glaucoma, diabetes, bleeding disorders or clotting conditions (e.g., haemophilia, thrombocytopenia); * Diagnosis of a significant neurological condition (e.g., epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury). * Diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental condition, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); * Current or recent use of medication that might interfere or interact with the effects of fluoxetine, in the opinion of the study medical advisor, including but not limited to: monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), medications affecting serotonin levels (e.g., tramadol, triptans, St. John's Wort), anticoagulants or blood thinners (e.g., warfarin), anti-inflammatory medications (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen), or medications known to affect heart rhythm; Prior Study Participation: * Participation in any other psychological or medical experiment involving taking any kind of drug/medication/vaccine, within the last 3 months; * Participation in any other study involving the current or similar tasks, within the last 6 months; Others •Any other significant finding which may arise during the screening process and which, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator/medical advisor, may influence the scientific integrity of the study, or the participant's ability to participate in the study.
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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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Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
RECRUITINGOxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
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