Healthy
Conditions
Keywords
Eye-tracking, vasopressin, looming fear
Brief summary
The main aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of orally administered vasopressin (AVP) on the perception of time-to-collision of threatening and non-threatening stimuli by combining a validated looming fear eye-tracking paradigm with a randomized between-subject placebo-controlled pharmacological trial design.
Detailed description
Animal models and initial findings in humans suggest a role of the AVP signaling system in socio-emotional processes. At the same time, the visual system's remarkable ability to perceive and interpret impending threats, notably through the looming phenomenon- a distinct pattern of optical expansion on the retina as objects approach, theoretically allows for precise estimation of the time-to-collision (TTC). It was recently demonstrated that the affective content of looming stimuli influences perceived TTC, with threatening objects judged as approaching sooner than non-threatening objects, hinting at a nuanced interaction between emotional valence and temporal perception. Within this context the present study aims to validate the effects of orally administered on the perception of time-to-collision of threatening and non-threatening stimuli. To this end, healthy individuals will undergo a double-blind, between-subjects, placebo-controlled pharmaco-eye-tracking experiment and receive a single oral dose of vasopressin (20 IU) or placebo before performing a looming visual stimuli task 45 minutes after administration. The task paradigm will encompass threatening (butterfly, rabbit) and non-threatening (spider, snake) stimuli
Interventions
Administration of vasopressin (20 IU) (oral spray)
Administration of placebo (oral spray)
Sponsors
Study design
Masking description
Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind between-subject design
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
* Healthy subjects who volunteer to participate and are able to fully understand and agree with this study by written informed consent. * Normal or corrected-normal version
Exclusion criteria
* History of neuropsychiatric diseases. * History of cardiac disease, including arrhythmias, aortic stenosis, or congestive heart failure; history of syncope or unexplained loss of consciousness. * History of hepatic diseases, including cholestasis, biliary obstructive disease, or severe liver dysfunction. * History of renal diseases, including renal stones or renal failure. * History of hyponatremia(Serum sodium \<135mmol/L) or hyperkalemia (Serum potassium\>5.5mmol/L); history of diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus * Known hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to any medication or hormone; strong allergic reaction to food. * Infections such as COVID-19 or influenza, or unexplained fever. * Subjects with hypertension (BP ≥130/80mmHg) or hypotension (BP ≤ 90/60mmHg). * History of alcohol or drug abuse; smoker (≥ 10 cigarettes or ≥ 3 cigars or ≥ 3 pipes/day); smoker using e-cigarettes.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ratio of judged-time-to-collision to actual-time-to-collision for threatening versus non-threatening stimuli after oral vasopressin administration | 75 minutes - 105 minutes after treatment | Comparison of the ratio between the judged time to collision and the actual time to collision between the treatment groups for threatening (spider, snake) and non-threatening (rabbit, butterfly) stimuli. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| First saccade latency(ms) for threatening versus non-threatening stimuli after oral vasopressin administration | 75 minutes - 105 minutes after treatment | Comparison of first saccade latencies between treatment groups for threatening (spider, snake) and non-threatening (rabbit, butterfly) stimuli. |
| Fixation duration(ms) for threatening versus non-threatening stimuli after oral vasopressin administration | 75 minutes - 105 minutes after treatment | Comparison of mean fixation durations between treatment groups for threatening (spider, snake) and non-threatening (rabbit, butterfly) stimuli. |
Countries
China