Emotional Processing

In this study, the investigators will examine the effects of blocking the orexin system on human behaviour and brain function using daridorexant, a medication that inhibits orexin activity. Orexin is a brain chemical involved in regulating sleep, emotion, motivation, and stress responses, which are often disrupted in mental health disorders. Healthy volunteers will be randomly assigned to receive a single dose of daridorexant or placebo in a double-blind design. Participants will then complete behavioural and cognitive tasks assessing emotional processing, aversive learning, and executive function. The study aims to clarify the role of orexin in emotional and cognitive processes relevant to conditions such as depression and anxiety.

This study explores the effects of 7-day losartan (50mg) versus placebo with brief behavioural activation on emotional processing in young volunteers low in positive mood

The goal of this observational study is to understand the effects and experiences of therapeutic writing interventions in adult women with chronic pain and co-occurring mental health conditions. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can therapeutic writing help relieve chronic pain and emotional distress? How does writing support emotional processing, regulation, and meaning-making during rehabilitation? Participants will take part in a two-part writing intervention involving: Guided writing exercises that focus on emotional processing, emotion regulation, and creating meaning. Individual interviews after the writing sessions to explore their experiences. The study uses qualitative analysis methods-phenomenology and logotherapy-to better understand how these writing interventions may support recovery, improve well-being, and offer non-pharmacological tools for managing chronic pain and mental health challenges.

This study explores the effects of single-dose losartan (50mg) versus placebo on emotional processing in young healthy volunteers.

The goal of this study is to investigate how a common antidepressant citalopram (which increases the levels of the chemical messenger serotonin), affects how a key area of the brain involved in depression (the amygdala) responds to emotional information. Healthy participants will undergo medical and psychiatric health screening, after which they will be assigned to receive either a single dose of citalopram (20mg) or placebo, and undergo brain scanning (7T fMRI) whilst viewing emotional faces. Since the scan uses high field strength, the investigators will be able to see effects of citalopram on different subfields within the amygdala which will help to understand how citalopram might be working.

This study explores the effects of single-dose losartan (50mg) versus placebo on emotional processing in healthy volunteers.