Effects of Oxytocin on Reinforcement Learning and Interoception

Not Applicable

Completed

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

• Registration Number: NCT05245708
• Lead Sponsor: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Brief Summary

The main aim of the study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin has effects on reinforcement learning under dynamic environment and interoceptive processing based on behavioral and electroencephalogram (EEG) responses.

Detailed Description

A double-blinded, placebo-controled, between-subject design is employed in this study. In a randomized order, a total of 80 healthy males are instructed to self-administrated intranasal spray of oxytocin or placebo. (1) Participants first complete a probabilistic reward learning task 45 minutes after treatment with behavioral (response time and accuracy) and EEG data (ERP components such as FRN, ERN and P300) being collected during this task. (2) A resting-state recording and a heartbeat counting task are conducted following the learning task with ECG and EEG data being collected. Personality traits of subjects are assessed using validated Chinese version questionnaires including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory(CFI), Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System Scale (BIS/BAS). Subjects are asked to complete Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) when they just arrive, before and after the tasks.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2021-04-15
• Primary Completion: 2021-09-20
• Study Completion: 2021-12-15
• Study First Submitted: 2022-02-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-02-08
• Study First Posted: 2022-02-18
• Status Verified: 2024-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-01-17
• Last Update Posted: 2024-01-19

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Male
• Target Recruitment: 80

Inclusion Criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria

• History of brain injury medical or mental illness.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
placebo	intranasal placebo	a single dose of 24 international units (IU) of placebo will be administered with 3 puffs of treatment to each nostril.
oxytocin	Intranasal oxytocin	a single dose of 24 international units (IU) of OT will be administered with 3 puffs of treatment to each nostril.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Behavioral index in the heartbeat counting task: interoceptive accuracy	65-75 minutes after treatment administration	Individuals' ability to perceive internal cardiac signals
Behavioral index in the learning task: chioce accuracy	45-65 minutes after treatment administration	The accuracy of subjects choosing the better option.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
ERP components in the learning task: ERN, FRN, P300, N2pc	45-65 minutes after treatment administration	ERN and FRN are indices of reward expectancy and prediction error in reinforcement learning. P300 is associated with attention allocation. N2pc is an early component associated with visual selective attention.
ERP components in the heartbeat counting task: heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP)	65-75 minutes after treatment administration	HEP is a scalp event-related potential that reflects cortical processing of cardiac interoceptive signals

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

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