Memory boost for cocaine users? small study tests potassium channel blocker
NCT ID NCT07532460
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study looks at whether a drug called fampridine, which blocks potassium channels in the brain, can improve working memory in people with cocaine use disorder. Forty chronic cocaine users will receive either the drug or a placebo and then take memory tests. The goal is to understand the brain mechanisms behind cognitive problems in cocaine users, not to test a cure.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- fampridine (4-aminopyridine)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a treatment for cognitive impairments in people with cocaine use disorder.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-stage study with only 40 participants. It tests a single dose, so any effects may be temporary or not translate to real-world benefits.
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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
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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20 to 50 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Current diagnosis of mild, moderate, or severe CoUD according to DSM-5 * Minimum cocaine use of 1g/month in the last three months * Cocaine as the primary drug of consumption * Willingness to abstain from cocaine use at least 72 hours before prior to each study visit * Ability to read, understand and provide written informed consent * To be sufficiently fluent in German * Age between 20 and 50 years * Body mass index (BMI) between 19 and 30 kg/m2 * If applicable: luteal phase of the menstrual cycle * For individuals with childbearing potential: use of contraceptive measures Exclusion Criteria: * Presence or history of severe neurological disorders or head injuries * Current diagnosis of an acute or chronic infectious disease * If applicable: pregnancy and breastfeeding * Lifetime history of any epileptic seizures * Lifetime diagnosis of a cardiovascular disease, specifically arrhythmia and long QT syndrome * Clinically significant laboratory or ECG abnormality that could be a safety issue in the study * Lifetime diagnosis of liver or kidney disease including moderate or severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance \< 50 ml/min) * Known hypersensitivity or allergy to 4-aminopyridine * Use of potassium channel blockers within the last 3 months * Use of psychotropic medication within the last 7 days * Use of inhibitors of the organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2), such as cimetidine * Lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or autism spectrum disorder according to DSM-5 * Diagnosis of a current episode of depression * Current diagnosis of a moderate or severe substance use disorder other than CoUD according than DSM-5 * Daily cannabis consumption in the past three months * (E-Cigarette) Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence Score \> 5 (strong nicotine dependence) * Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g., due to language problems * Being related to or in any form dependent on the investigator * Prior participation (less than two years ago) in a study investigating working memory using the n-back task, the SWM, PAL, RVP, or LNST * Participation in another study with investigational drugs within the 30 days preceding and during the present 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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University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich
RECRUITINGZurich, Canton of Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
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