The Effects of Oxytocin on Affective Touch

NCT ID: NCT03282162

Last Updated: 2018-10-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-08-28
• Study Completion Date: 2018-07-12

Brief Summary

The main aim of the study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin (24IU) increases the affective processing of touch in general or whether it's effect vary according to the affective valence of the touch (positive, neutral, negative). Moreover, associations with trait autism will be explored.

Detailed Description

A double-blind, within-subject, placebo controlled design will be employed in this study. In a randomized-order a total of 40 healthy male subjects will receive oxytocin- and placebo-nasalspray (interval between the administration > 2 weeks). 45 minutes after treatment subjects will be administered the touch-stimulation to the dorsal forearm by a trained experimenter (lengths: 8cm, rate 8cm/s). After each block of stimulation, the subjects will be asked to rate their subjective experience of the touch.The neural basis of touch processing will be measured via simultaneously acquired fMRI.

Levels of trait autism will be assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ) and related scales such as the Empathy Quotient (EQ), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), or the Sensory over Responsivity Scale (SOR) and Under Responsively Scale (URS).

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

Oxytocin then placebo

Subjects will first receive oxytocin (24 IU).They then will receive placebo (24 IU) 2 weeks later.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

intranasal oxytocin

Intervention Type: DRUG

Each subject will be assigned to intranasal administration of oxytocin (24 IU).

intranasal placebo

Intervention Type: DRUG

An identical amount of intranasal administration of placebo will be assigned to each subject.

Placebo then oxytocin

Subjects will first receive placebo (24 IU).They then will receive oxytocin (24 IU) 2 weeks later.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

intranasal oxytocin

Intervention Type: DRUG

Each subject will be assigned to intranasal administration of oxytocin (24 IU).

intranasal placebo

Intervention Type: DRUG

An identical amount of intranasal administration of placebo will be assigned to each subject.

Interventions

intranasal oxytocin

Each subject will be assigned to intranasal administration of oxytocin (24 IU).

Intervention Type: DRUG

intranasal placebo

An identical amount of intranasal administration of placebo will be assigned to each subject.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders

Exclusion Criteria

• History of brain injury Medical or mental illness

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 30 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Keith Kendrick

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Yuanshu Chen, B.S.

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Locations

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China(UESTC)

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Countries

China

Other Identifiers

UESTC-neuSCAN-40

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id