Healthy
Conditions
Keywords
Oxytocin, social touch
Brief summary
The main aim of the study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin (24IU) can enhance hedonic experience and associated brain-reward reward responses to social touch.
Detailed description
A double-blind, within-subject, placebo controlled design is employed in this study. In total 50 healthy male subjects will be recruited and they will come twice, once with the administration of oxytocin nasal spray and the other placebo (interval time is more than 2 weeks). 45 minutes after treatment subjects will be applied two different types of pleasant touch: social touch from a masseur (professional therapist) and non-social touch from a massage device. After each condition the subjects will be asked to rate pleasantness, likability, and arousal. Simultaneously functional brain activity will be acquired via fMRI. Blood samples will be taken before and after the intervention to assess oxytocin levels. All subjects were asked to complete a range of questionnaires measuring trait personality and mood: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (CBSS),Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ), Empathy Quotient (EQ), NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS),Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System Scale (BISBAS),Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ),State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Social Touch Questionnaire (STQ), Sensory over Responsivity Scale (SOR) and Under Responsivity Scale (URS) one day before the first scanning. On the first and second scanning day, the subjects were asked to complete Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) before and after treatment administration.
Interventions
DRUGintranasal oxytocin
24 IU of oxytocin nasal spray will be applied to each subject.
DRUGintranasal placebo
an identical amount of placebo nasal spray will be applied to each subject.
Sponsors
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind within-subject design
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders
Exclusion criteria
* History of brain injury * Medical or mental illness
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Neural indices: fMRI-based measures of interoceptive and reward processing | 45-90 minutes after treatment administration | fMRI-based measures of social and non-social touch-related brain activity |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral index: pleasantness experience | 45-90 minutes after treatment administration | Ratings for pleasantness during the application of social and non-social touch |
| Behavioral index: likability experience | 45-90 minutes after treatment administration | Ratings for likability during the application of social and non-social touch |
| Behavioral index: arousal experience | 45-90 minutes after treatment administration | Ratings for arousal during the application of social and non-social touch |
Countries
China
Contacts
Primary ContactKeith M Kendrick, Dr.
Backup ContactBenjamin Becker, Dr.
Outcome results
None listed