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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02443727

The Role of Oxytocin in the Perception of Faces

The main objective of this project is to study whether intranasal oxytocin (OT) affects how young adults perceive and attend to infant and adult faces. Based on existing research the investigators predict that oxytocin will facilitate the allocation of attentional resources on infant faces (compared to adult faces). The investigators also predict that oxytocin will enhance the activity of reward neural-networks associated with the perception of infant faces. The behavioral effects of OT (visual attention and face recognition) will be measured with eye-tracking while participants look at photographs of adult and infant faces. Neurological effects (the activity of emotion and reward networks) will be measured with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) while participants look at infant faces on a computer screen.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Early Phase 1

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Norma or corrected to norma vision
  • Participants are non parents
  • Able to provide written informed consent and to comply with all study procedures

Exclusion criteria

  • Dementia or severe cognitive disorders
  • Endocrine disease or malignancy
  • Nasal obstruction or upper-respiratory tract infection
  • Current or previous psychiatric disorder
  • Current or previous use of psychoactive drugs
  • Alcoholism or substance abuse
  • History of seizures
  • Neurological Disorder
  • Previous head trauma
  • Hypertension
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Claustrophobia
  • ferrous metal in any part of the body

Treatment and study plan

Syntocinon (synthetic oxytocin)

Drug

Dosage and details described in arm.

Other names: OT

Placebo

Other

Dosage and details described in arm.

Primary outcomes

  1. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Data

    Time frame: 45 minutes after OT manipulation

    The effect of OT will be assessed by determining changes in brain activation between treatment and placebo groups.

  2. Eye movements data

    Time frame: 45 minutes after OT manipulation

    The effect of OT will be assessed by determining changes in eye movements between treatment and placebo groups.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Implicit Attitudes toward infants

    Time frame: 45 minutes after OT manipulation

    Implicit attitudes toward infants as measured by the Implicit Association Test

  2. Theory of mind

    Time frame: 45 minutes after OT manipulation

    Theory of mind as measured by the Reading the mind in the eyes test

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Rodrigo Cardenas

Other

Collaborators

  • U.S. National Science Foundation

Registry information

Official study title

The Role of Oxytocin in the Perception of Infant Faces

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2015
Study completion
2016
First posted
May 14, 2015
Registry last updated
Apr 25, 2023

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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