Effects of Oxytocin on Reinforcement Learning

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Learning Disabilities

Treatments: Drug: intranasal placebo; Drug: intranasal oxytocin

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03846271

UESTC-neuSCAN-61

Details and patient eligibility

About

The main aim of the study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin (24IU) influences reward sensitivity and performance monitoring during reinforcement learning.

Full description

A double-blind, within-subject, placebo-controlled pharmacological EEG design will be employed. A total of 35 healthy male subjects will be recruited which will receive either intranasal placebo or oxytocin (24IU) on two separate study days (order counter-balanced, washout period at least 2 weeks). 45 minutes after treatment subjects will undergo a probabilistic feedback reinforcement learning paradigm with concurrent EEG acquisition. During the paradigm subjects will learn the reward probabilities of two different visual stimuli from probabilistic feedback provided by social stimuli (positive, negative emoticon). The paradigm includes an initial acquisition phase and a subsequent test phase.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age between 18-30
• Male sex
• Right handedness

Exclusion criteria

• History of brain injury
• Current or history of psychiatric, neurological or internist disorder
• Current or regular use of medication, psychotropic substances, including nicotine
• Contraindications for Oxytocin

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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40 participants in 2 patient groups

Oxytocin then placebo

Experimental group

Description:

Participants first receive oxytocin (24 IU). After a washout period of 2 weeks, they receive placebo.

Treatment:

Drug: intranasal oxytocin

Drug: intranasal placebo

Placebo then oxytocin

Experimental group

Description:

Participants first receive placebo. After a washout period of 2 weeks, they receive oxytocin (24 IU).

Treatment:

Drug: intranasal oxytocin

Drug: intranasal placebo