Behavioral effects and neural correlates of oxytocin on social attention [Verhaltenseffekte und neuronales Korrelat von Oxytocin im Kontext sozialer Aufmerksamkeit]

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Phase 2

Study type

Interventional

Source

EU CTR

Registry ID

EUCTR2010-022511-18-DE

Enrollment

100

Registered

2010-12-06

Start date

2011-04-05

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-06-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

subjects with autism spectrum disorder and neurotypical controls MedDRA version: 12.1 Level: LLT Classification code 10063844 Term: Autism spectrum disorder

Interventions

Trade Name: Syntocinon®-Spray Product Name: Syntocinon-Spray Product Code: OXT Pharmaceutical Form: Nasal spray* INN or Proposed INN: Oxytocin CAS Number: 50-56-6 Other descriptive name: OXYTOCIN Conc

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Male

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: - age: 18 - 50 years - ASD-group only: diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (DSM-IV: 299.00, 299.80) - male - right-handed - non-smoker - German native-speaker - normal or corrected-to-normal vision - written informed-consent Are the trial subjects under 18? no Number of subjects for this age range: F.1.2 Adults (18-64 years) yes F.1.2.1 Number of subjects for this age range F.1.3 Elderly (>=65 years) no F.1.3.1 Number of subjects for this age range

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: - somatic illness - endocrinological or psychoactive medication - controls only: current or past diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorder - ASD-group only: dominant psychiatric comorbidity (DSM-IV axis I / II) - on the day of behavioral testing: caffeinated beverages and alcohol; drinking or eating anything except water for two hours before testing - hypersensitivity towards the active substance or other ingredients (e.g. preservatives like parabens) - fMRI-group only: non-MRI-compatible conditions (e.g. metal in body) - mental retardation (IQ < 70) - speech development disorder

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Main Objective: The overall aim of the proposed project is to investigate attentional processes in a social context and to modulate these processes by OXT. Based on the literature to date, it seems plausible that OXT modulates social cognitive processes such as the attention to emotional facial expressions differentially in ASD and neurotypical controls. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the modulatory role of OXT on attentional capture of social stimuli with varying emotional valence on the behavioral level in both typically developing adults as well as individuals with ASD. Participants will receive either OXT or a placebo in a randomized, double-blind group design. ;Secondary Objective: - Investigate whether OXT improves the attentional focus to social/emotional stimuli in the ASD group, but attenuates the attentional focus for aversive/negative social stimuli in neurotypical individuals as compared to positive social cues - Examine the neural basis of the expected behavioral effects using fMRI;Primary end point(s): - reaction time and saccadic patterns in a facial dot-probe paradigm (using high-speed remote eyetracking) - limbic activity in response to facial stimuli	—

Measure

Time frame

Main Objective: The overall aim of the proposed project is to investigate attentional processes in a social context and to modulate these processes by OXT. Based on the literature to date, it seems plausible that OXT modulates social cognitive processes such as the attention to emotional facial expressions differentially in ASD and neurotypical controls. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the modulatory role of OXT on attentional capture of social stimuli with varying emotional valence on the behavioral level in both typically developing adults as well as individuals with ASD. Participants will receive either OXT or a placebo in a randomized, double-blind group design. ;Secondary Objective: - Investigate whether OXT improves the attentional focus to social/emotional stimuli in the ASD group, but attenuates the attentional focus for aversive/negative social stimuli in neurotypical individuals as compared to positive social cues - Examine the neural basis of the expected behavioral effects using fMRI;Primary end point(s): - reaction time and saccadic patterns in a facial dot-probe paradigm (using high-speed remote eyetracking) - limbic activity in response to facial stimuli

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Countries

Germany

Outcome results

None listed

Source: EU CTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026