Oxytocin Modulates Eye Gaze Behavior During Social Processing

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Healthy
• Interventions: Drug: intranasal oxytocin; Drug: intranasal placebo

• Registration Number: NCT03293511
• Lead Sponsor: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Brief Summary

The main aim of the study is to examine whether the effects of intranasal oxytocin on eye-gaze behavior towards social stimuli are modulated via individual differences in trait autism

Detailed Description

In this double-blind, within subject, placebo controlled design a total of n = 40 healthy male subjects will receive either 24 IU of oxytocin or placebo (interval between administration \> two weeks). 45 minutes after treatment subjects will undergo a total of 7 eye-tracking paradigms examining eye-gaze behavior during social processing: (1) dynamic social-nonsocial visual preference task during which movies of dynamic geometric images (DGI) and dynamic social images (DSI) will be presented; (2) non-biological versus biological motion task; (3) social attention and motivation of sharing enjoyment; (4) preference for emotional faces versus schematic faces (emoticons); (5) shared social attention - shared gaze direction with an actor shifting his attention to different objects; (6) preferred visual scanning of face regions in emotional faces; and, (7) eye gaze in response to empathy eliciting visual stimuli. Autistic and associated traits will be assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ), Social Responsibilities Scale (SRS) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Within-subject differences in the effects of oxytocin on social eye gazing behaviour will be related to individual differences in autistic traits.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2017-06-09
• Study First Submitted: 2017-09-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-09-20
• Study First Posted: 2017-09-26
• Status Verified: 2018-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-10-26
• Last Update Posted: 2018-10-29
• Primary Completion: 2019-07
• Study Completion: 2019-07

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: Male
• Target Recruitment: 40

Inclusion Criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria

• History of brain injury
• Visual impairments
• Use of medication
• Contraindications for oxytocin administration

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Order of administration: oxytocin - placebo	intranasal oxytocin	Participants first receive oxytocin (24 IU). After a washout period of 2 weeks, they receive placebo nasal spray
Order of administration: placebo - oxytocin	intranasal placebo	Participants first received placebo nasal spray. After a washout period of 2 weeks, they then receive oxytocin (24 IU).
Order of administration: placebo - oxytocin	intranasal oxytocin	Participants first received placebo nasal spray. After a washout period of 2 weeks, they then receive oxytocin (24 IU).
Order of administration: oxytocin - placebo	intranasal placebo	Participants first receive oxytocin (24 IU). After a washout period of 2 weeks, they receive placebo nasal spray

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Global eye gaze characteristic: differences between oxytocin and placebo treatment	45-90 minutes after treatment administration	Global eye-gaze patterns will be compared between the administration of oxytocin and placebo
Feature-specific eye gaze characteristics: differences between oxytocin and placebo treatment	45-90 minutes after treatment administration	Localized feature-specific eye gaze patterns will be compared between oxytocin and placebo treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Global eye gaze characteristic - associations with autism traits	45-90 minutes after treatment administration	Within-subject differences in global eye gaze characteristics between the oxytocin and placebo administration will be examined for associations with individual differences in autism traits
Feature-specific eye gaze characteristics - associations with trait autism	45-90 minutes after treatment administration	Within-subject differences in localized feature-specific eye gaze characteristics between the oxytocin and placebo administration will be examined for associations with individual differences in autism traits

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; 🇨🇳 Chengdu, Sichuan, China

school of life science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; 🇨🇳 Chengdu, Sichuan, China