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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01939639

The Influence of Oxytocin on the Processing of Social Contact

Social touch can convey the most potent and salient of socio-emotional signals. While the hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OXT) has been identified as a key neurochemical mediator of grooming in some other social species, its modulatory influence on human interpersonal touch is unknown. The investigators expect that OXT augments the hedonic value of touch and that this behavioral effect is paralleled at the neural level by an increased response in brain areas mediating rewarding aspects of social touch.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Male Volunteers

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1

Primary location

Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn

Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, 53105, Germany

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

Treatment and study plan

Placebo

Drug

intranasal application, sodium chloride solution, 3 puffs per nostril

Oxytocin

Drug

24 IU Oxytocin, intranasal application 45 min prior to the experiment

Other names: Syntocinon

Primary outcomes

  1. Pleasantness ratings of social touch

    Time frame: 30 minutes after the nasal spray administration

    After each trial, subjects are asked to use a visual analog scale to rate the pleasantness of the administered touch.

  2. Blood-oxygen-level dependent signal in response to social touch

    Time frame: 30 minutes after the nasal spray administration

    By using functional magnetic resonance imaging we want to examine oxytocin's effects on the neural correlates (BOLD signal) of social touch.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Questionnaire measurement of mood (PANAS) and anxiety (STAI).

    Time frame: 15 minutes before the nasal spray administration and (on average) 10 minutes after the fMRI experiment

Other outcomes

  1. Saliva oxytocin concentrations

    Time frame: 15 minutes before the nasal spray administration and (on average) 10 minutes after the fMRI experiment

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Bonn

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2013
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Sep 11, 2013
Registry last updated
Sep 11, 2013

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.

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