Take part in study on the effects of antidepressants

Healthy adults are needed to take part in this UCL research into the effects of antidepressants on learning and emotional processing.

Participants will be required to take a 14 or 21 day course of either the antidepressant Escitalopram or Placebo tablet, and will receive £45-£50 for taking part. 

Who is it for?

This study needs participants aged 18-64 with no severe medical problems. To take part, you should have either:

• No history of mental health problems 
• Persistent anxiety and/or low mood 

What will it involve? 

The study will consist of three sessions: 

• Session 1: Screening session (1 hour-1 hour 30 mins) 
• Session 2:  You will complete some behavioural tasks in and out an fMRI scanner (2 hours 30 mins) 
• Session 3: After a 14-21 day course of Escitalopram you will come back to complete the same tasks in and out of the fMRI scanner (2 hours 30 mins)

fMRI is non-invasive and commonly used in hospitals and research institutes everywhere around the world. fMRI uses a magnetic field to get pictures of your brain in action. Escitalopram is a very widely and commonly used antidepressant.  

What else do I need to know?

The study takes place at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17 Queens Square, WC1 3AZ.  Participants will receive £45-50

How do I sign up?

To sign up for the study please follow the link below to fill out our screening questionnaire. If you are eligible one of our researchers will be in contact.

Sign up now

This study has been approved by the UCL Research Ethics Committee, reference 6198_002. All data will be collected and stored in accordance with the Data Protection Act. 

Siobhan Gormley, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL