Studies on the hormone Erythropoietin (EPO) have indicated that EPO may have antidepressant
properties. However, EPO may cause serious side-effects with repeated administration
(thrombosis), which limits its usefulness as an antidepressant. ARA290 is a peptide that does
not have the effects of EPO on blood cells but may still have its effect on brain function.
In an attempt to replicate previous findings with (a single dose of) EPO in healthy
volunteers, we study the effects of ARA290 on the cognitive and neural processing of emotions
in healthy volunteers. We hypothesize that a single dose of ARA290 will lead to a positive
shift in information processing compared to placebo, 7 days post-administration.