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Circadian Rhythms and Homeostatic Sleep Drive and Their Effect on Reward and Cognitive Control Systems in Adolescents

University of Pittsburgh · with National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) · NCT05336084

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 13–18 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
200
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
March 4, 2022
Record last updated
April 8, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

Adolescence is a time of heightened reward sensitivity and greater impulsivity. On top of this, many teenagers experience chronic sleep deprivation and misalignment of their circadian rhythms due to biological shifts in their sleep/wake patterns paired with early school start times, which may increase the risk for substance use (SU). However, what impact circadian rhythm and sleep disruption either together or independently have on the neuronal circuitry that controls reward and cognition, or if there are interventions that might help to modify these disruptions is unknown. Project 1 (P1), specifically examines homeostatic and circadian characteristics as mechanisms linking habitual sleep patterns, reward and cognitive control (at subjective, behavioral, and circuit levels), and longitudinal substance use risk.

Being studied: Ultradian sleep/wake protocol

Conditions: Sleep

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Age 13-18 years
  • Currently enrolled in a traditional high-school (not cyber- or home-schooled) [school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic are an exception to this]
  • Physically and psychiatrically healthy
  • Provision of written informed consent and assent

Exclusion Criteria

  • outside age range above
  • have a history of alcohol, cannabis, or illicit drug use greater than weekly use in the past year
  • have serious medical or neurological disorders, including history of seizures
  • have serious psychiatric disorders (e.g. bipolar disorder and schizophrenia)
  • taking antidepressants (SSRIs/SSNIs are OK) or medications known to impact sleep/wake function - some medications may be okay if willing and able to discontinue prior to and/or for laboratory procedures
  • have sleep disorders other than insomnia or Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder
  • have MRI contraindications (i.e., metal in the body; claustrophobia)
  • first degree relative with bipolar disorder
  • frequent headaches or migraines
  • inability to swallow pills/capsules.
  • pregnancy
  • participants with observed Obstructive Sleep Apnea via Apnealink, as indicated by an Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) of greater than 5
  • Less than 80 lbs. or a BMI of greater than 35

Recruiting US locations

  • Western Psychiatric Hospital

    Pittsburgh, PA 15213

    Site contact: Ronette Blake, MS · 412-443-3704 · blakerg2@upmc.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Ronette Blake, MS · (412) 443-3704 · blakerg2@upmc.edu
  • Sarah Aerni · 412-551-110 · aernise2@upmc.edu
All sleep studies in Pennsylvania →
Circadian Rhythms and Homeostatic Sleep Drive and Their Effect on… (NCT05336084) | Bored Studies