Autism Spectrum Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Oxytocin, Eye Contact, Mirror System, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Brief summary
This study investigates the efficacy of a single-dose of exogenous oxytocin administration on socially adaptive mirror-motor mapping in participants with Autism Spectrum Disorders. A placebo-controlled cross-over trial will be conducted: each participant will receive both a single-dose of placebo and oxytocin in two sessions separated by one week. The order of nasal spray will be randomised across participants. Mirror-motor mapping will be assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a standard technique to investigate mirror system activity.
Detailed description
The brain's action observation network or 'mirror system' supports a variety of socio-cognitive functions, as it enables us to internally simulate and understand others' actions, emotions and intentions. Generally, mirror responses are larger upon the observation of actions accompanied by relevant information for the observer, such as direct eye contact from the actor. In other words, 'mirroring' is adaptively modulated according to the social salience of the observed actions (i.e. it is socially adaptive). Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are known to endure difficulties with correctly recognizing eye contact as a communicative cue. Instead, they tend to experience eye contact as stressful and arousing. It is therefore hypothesized that, upon the observation of actions combined with salient gaze cues from the actor, these mirroring processes will not be adaptively modulated in participants with ASD. As appropriate processing of eye contact is a key aspect of (non-verbal) communicative behavior, the investigator will investigate the efficacy of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin administration for enhancing socially-adaptive mirroring in ASD. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that acts as a regulator social brain areas. On a behavioral level, it is known to enhance the saliency of observed social cues and to improve prosocial behavior. As such, it is regarded a promising intervention for alleviating the social and communicative deficits in ASD.
Interventions
DRUGOxytocin
A single dose (24IU) of nasal spray (3 puffs of 4IU per nostril) will be administered before the assessment of the neurophysiological measures.
OTHERPlacebo
A single dose (24IU) of nasal spray (3 puffs of 4IU per nostril) will be administered before the assessment of the neurophysiological measures.
Sponsors
KU Leuven
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Male * Young adults (between 18 - 35 y/o) * Right-handed * Official diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (for ASD participants)
Exclusion criteria
* Female * Left-handed * Any neuro(psycho)logical / psychiatric illness (for healthy controls) * Motor dysfunctions of the hands / arms * Any contradiction to TMS research as assessed with the TMS screening list: no metal objects in the body (e.g. pacemaker, coronary bypass clips, implants, medication pumps, ...), history of brain trauma in the past (e.g. meningitis, epilepsy, surgery, ...) or history of drug and/or alcohol abuse.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline in socially adaptive mirroring as measured by TMS | 30 minutes after spray administration | After a single dose of nasal spray, TMS will be applied to assess mirror-motor mapping during the observation of socially relevant vs. irrelevant visuomotor information. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline in mirroring of others' actions as measured by TMS | 30 minutes after spray administration | After a single dose of nasal spray, TMS will be applied to assess basic mirror-motor mapping of observed actions. |
| Change from baseline in corticospinal excitability as measured by TMS | 30 minutes after spray administration | After a single dose of nasal spray, TMS will be applied to assess corticospinal excitability when the participant is at rest (without any visuomotor information). |
| Change from baseline in total fixation duration towards the eye region of the model. | 30 minutes after spray administration | During movement observation, participants' viewing behavior will be monitored by means of head-mounted eye tracking technology. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline in Public Self-Awareness Score on Situational Self-Awareness Scale (SSAS) | 60 minutes after spray administration | Informant-based self-report scale to assess public self-awareness in a specific situation as measured by SSAS. Likert scale: I totally agree (1) - I totally disagree (10); lower scores indicate more public self-awareness. |
| Change from baseline in Arousal and Pleasure on the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) | 60 minutes after spray administration | Informant-based scale to assess self-reported arousal and pleasure in a specific situation as measured by SAM. Likert scale: Pleasant / Not aroused (1) - Unpleasant / Aroused (9). Higher scores indicate more arousal and less pleasure. |
| Change from baseline in saliva-based oxytocin concentrations | Before and 60 minutes after spray administration | Saliva samples will be collected before nasal spray administration and after the experimental procedure to be able to monitor the pharmacokinetics of oxytocin. |
Countries
Belgium
Outcome results
None listed