Oxytocin's Effect on Attention Training

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Healthy
• Interventions: Drug: placebo; Drug: Oxytocin

• Registration Number: NCT03128242
• Lead Sponsor: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate oxytocin's effect on attentional bias training. Healthy participants will undergo a dot-probe task-based training to direct their attention away from negative stimuli (as compared to neutral). Effects of the training will be assessed using an eye-tracking anti-saccade task.

Detailed Description

In this study, a dot-probe task will be used to examine if subjects show an attentional bias towards negative stimuli and whether the bias can be modified using a subsequent attentional bias training. During this training participants learn to direct their attention away from threatening stimuli. In a between-subject placebo controlled design participants will receive either intranasal oxytocin or placebo before the training to examine whether oxytocin could facilitate the effects of the attention training. Effects of the training and of oxytocin on the training will be assessed by means of an eye-tracking anti-saccade task. Based on previous studies showing the strongest effects of threat-attentional bias training in high anxious subjects, the study will recruit participants with an elevated trait anxiety.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2016-11-25
• Study First Submitted: 2017-04-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-04-20
• Study First Posted: 2017-04-25
• Status Verified: 2018-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-10-26
• Last Update Posted: 2018-10-29
• Primary Completion: 2018-12-30
• Study Completion: 2018-12-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: Male
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

• male participants with elevated trait anxiety (> 45 scores as assessed with the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, Spielberger, 1983)
• without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders

Exclusion Criteria

• history of head injury
• medical or psychiatric illness
• smoking or drinking 24 hours before the experiment

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
placebo group	placebo	placebo treatment
oxytocin group	Oxytocin	oxytocin treatment

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Reaction time (RT) difference - oxytocin effects	Before drug administration (pre-treatment baseline) and 55 minutes after drug administration	Difference before and after oxytocin administration: reaction time to negative and neutral stimuli in the dot-probe task
Reaction time (RT) difference - training effects	Before drug administration - 55-90 minutes after drug administration	Difference before and after training: reaction time to negative and neutral stimuli in the dot-probe task
Saccade latency difference - training effects	Before drug administration - 55-90 minutes after drug administration	Difference before and after training in saccade latency in the anti-saccade task

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; 🇨🇳 Chendu, Sichuan, China