Intranasal Oxytocin and Enhancement of Team Cohesion (ECHO)

University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 1

Conditions

Unit Cohesion

Treatments

Drug: Oxytocin

Other: Placebo comparator

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT02302430

14-15259

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study attempts to identify the psychological, behavioral, physiological, and hormonal predictors and mechanisms of an individual's ability to develop cohesion in a group working together as a team; and examine if administration of the prosocial neuropeptide oxytocin enhances the development of team cohesion. Through a deeper understanding of the underlying psychobiological predictors and mechanisms of team cohesion, the prospective identification of individuals whose unique characteristics promote or inhibit the development of group cohesion will become possible.

Full description

The investigators will study up to one thousand subjects who will be randomized into same-gendered teams of three or volunteer as acquainted groups of three . Teams will be randomized to receive oxytocin or placebo. The investigators will first measure baseline personality traits including prosocial orientation. Cohesion will then be measured using a cooperative, virtual unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying mission. All online behavior will be recorded within the task and all offline, real world, behavior will be video recorded throughout the study by digital cameras for later behavioral coding. To measure biobehavioral synchrony, autonomic physiology will be recorded and saliva samples will be taken throughout behavioral testing.

Enrollment

486 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 28 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Age 18-28
Speak English
Ability to use a nasal spray

Exclusion criteria

Positive urine pregnancy test
History of psychiatric or neurologic disorder
Use of illicit drugs in the past month
History of moderate-severe alcohol use disorder as defined by DSM-V criteria
Sensitivity to preservatives (in particular E 216, E 218 and chlorobutanol hemihydrate)
Nasal obstruction, discharge, or bleeding
Habitually drinks large volumes of water
Taking testosterone, estrogen/progesterone supplement, or serotonin-1a receptor agonists/antagonists
Currently meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 (DSM-V) criteria for severe major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts or actions