Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01606462

Oxytocin and Social Cognition

The purpose of this study is to determine whether oxytocin influences memory of social stimuli and reaction to social stimuli. Furthermore the investigators explore the effect of oxytocin receptor (OXTR) polymorphism in terms of behavioral and neural responses to social stimuli.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Healthy Male Volunteers

Age range

20 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1

Primary location

Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn

Bonn, 53105, Germany

About this study

The prevailing view of OXT as a key facilitator of prosocial behaviors has been highly influenced by a plethora of studies in healthy volunteers, which demonstrated increased interpersonal trust, generosity, social learning/empathy and positively biased social stimulus processing as a result of OXT treatment. However, this interpretation is challenged by observations that OXT also promotes envy and schadenfreude (gloating), ethno-centrism (including prejudice, xenophobia, and racial bias), and defensive aggression towards outsiders.We investigate the neural correlates of emotion perception and subsequent memory effects of aversive and neutral stimuli. Tthe oxytocin effect on personal space is questioned. Additionally the effect of OXTR polymorphism regarding behavioral and neural response is explored.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy male volunteers

Exclusion criteria

  • Current or past psychiatric disease
  • Current or past physical illness
  • Psychoactive medication
  • Tobacco smokers
  • MRI contraindication

Treatment and study plan

Oxytocin

Drug

intranasal administration, 24 IU oxytocin; ; 3 puffs per nostril, each with 4 IU OXT

Other names: Oxytocin: Syntocinon-Spray, Novartis

Primary outcomes

  1. neural correlates of emotion perception and subsequent memory effects of aversive and neutral stimuli

    Time frame: two years

    MRI data are analyzed using SPM8 (Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, London, UK). In the first level analysis the following conditions are modeled: 'neutral: subsequently remembered', 'neutral: subsequently forgotten', 'aversive: subsequently remembered', and 'aversive: subsequently forgotten'.

Secondary outcomes

  1. the effect of oxytocin receptor (OXTR) polymorphism in terms of behavioral and neural responses to social stimuli

    Time frame: two years

    behavioral social testing, fMRI analysis using SPM8, OXTR genotyping

  2. The oxytocin effect on social behavior e.g. personal space is questioned

    Time frame: two years

    behavioral testing e.g. personal space

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Bonn

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Study: Oxytocin and OXTR-genotypes Influence Behavioral and Neural Social Reactions

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
May 25, 2012
Registry last updated
Dec 3, 2014

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.