Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin and Vasopressin on Social Behavior and Decision Making

David Mankuta

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Drug: Intranasal vasopressin; Drug: Intranasal Oxytocin; Drug: Intranasal placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02526914

Hadassah Medical Organization

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of a one-time intranasal administration of the oxytocin, vasopressin, or placebo on prosocial decision making such as cooperation and competition in a healthy population of student controls.

Enrollment: 432 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• healthy controls

Exclusion criteria

• Past or present psychiatric, neurological, endocrinological or severe chronic medical illness.
• Use of medications or drugs that would interfere with study results. This includes steroids, medications for psychiatric symptoms like anxiety or depression, stimulants, and medications for high blood pressure. Participants will be asked to tell the investigators of any medications or drugs that they are taking. The investigators will consider the drug interactions with oxytocin and vasopressin prior to study, and participants will not be able to participate in the study if the drug interactions could be dangerous.
• history of drug or alcohol addiction
• Pregnancy or Nursing Status: Because of the risk to an unborn fetus or infant, women who are pregnant or nursing are excluded from this protocol. All females will have a pregnancy test performed no more than 24 hours before each drug administration and will not be able to participate if the pregnancy test is positive.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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432 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Intranasal Oxytocin

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will self-administer 24 IU Oxytocin. 5 puffs per nostril (1 puff = 2.5 IU Oxytocin).

Treatment:

Drug: Intranasal Oxytocin

Intranasal vasopressin

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will self-administer 20 IU vasopressin. 5 puffs per nostril (1 puff = 2 IU vasopressin).

Treatment:

Drug: Intranasal vasopressin

Intranasal placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

contains all the ingredients as in the oxytocin and vasopressin conditions, save for the active ingredient. Participants will self-administer 5 puffs per nostril.

Treatment:

Drug: Intranasal placebo