There is growing animal and human evidence for role of 5HT1A receptor agonism in treating
depression and reward deficits. The next step is to translate this evidence directly into
humans by characterising the effects of buspirone, as a 5HT1A agonist, on cognitive models of
reward and emotional processing.
There is a paucity of behavioural evidence for the effect of 5HT1A receptor agonism, using
buspirone as a probe, on primary reward processing (e.g. food), effort-based decision making
or reward learning. Furthermore, the effects of 5HT1A agonism on non-emotive cognition, such
as working memory, has yet to be investigated at a behavioural level in humans.
This study will characterise the effects of buspirone, as a probe for 5HT1A receptor agonism,
on reward processing in human cognitive models. Furthermore it will examine its role in
emotional processing and working memory. This will add to the evidence base of the
neurocognitive effects of 5HT1A receptor agonism in humans, which is of relevance to the
development of this as a target for future treatment development.
The study will be a double blinded, placebo controlled study involving healthy volunteers.
Participants will receive a single dose of buspirone and then undergo a battery of
psychometric testing to examine reward processing, emotional processing and a memory.
Frequent monitoring of temperature and salivary cortisol shall be taken as surrogate markers
of pre- and postsynaptic 5HT1A receptor activation.