None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to determine whether oxytocin improves emotion perception and understandind in people who have a diagnosis of Schizophrenia
Interventions
Adults with a primary diagnosis of Schizophrenia are given a single dose (24 International Units) of oxytocin nasal spray or an identical placebo in a crossover design with one-week washout period. Participants receive the nasal spray, wait 45 minutes and complete experimental tasks. Participants return one week later to receive the nasal spray again, wait 45 minutes and complete the same experimental tasks. On both occasions participants are observed for a period of 1.5 hours while they complet
Adults with a primary diagnosis of Schizophrenia are given a single dose (24 International Units) of oxytocin nasal spray or an identical placebo in a crossover design with one-week washout period. Participants receive the nasal spray, wait 45 minutes and complete experimental tasks. Participants return one week later to receive the nasal spray again, wait 45 minutes and complete the same experimental tasks. On both occasions participants are observed for a period of 1.5 hours while they complete social cognition tasks. These tasks include emotion recognition (Reading the mind in the eyes (RMET) and the Penn Emotion Recognition Test (PERT)), eye-tracking when viewing human faces, and assessing comprehension of potential threats when viewing videos of social events. The entire trial is completed within these two experimental testing sessions.
Sponsors
University of Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Crossover
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Male
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Adult males with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia as determined by interview on the Diagnostic INterview for Psychoses (DIP) and symptoms as assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded if they meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for current alcohol or substance dependence (other than nicotine) within the last 6 months, have medical conditions that preclude participation in drug trials (including significant brain, cardiac, liver, lung, endocrinological or metabolic disorders) and if their Intelligence Quotient (IQ) falls below 75. Participants must be stabilised on medication for a period of 8 weeks. No females are included in this study.
Outcome results
None listed