Oxytocin Effect on Attentional Bias Towards Emotional Expression Faces in Individuals With High and Low Autistic Traits: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Status and phase: Unknown; Early Phase 1

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Behavioral: screen low autistic subjects; Behavioral: screen high autistic subjects; Drug: placebo; Drug: oxytocin

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02741063

UESTC-neuSCAN-19

Details and patient eligibility

About

to investigate whether oxytocin alter attentional bias towards emotional expression faces in individuals with high and low autistic traits, and the brain mechanism of this effect

Full description

In the present study, investigator plan to use a double-blind, between-subject placebo controlled design.Firstly, all healthy male subjects' autistic trait levels will be assessed by the Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ) and only subjects with higher or lower ASQ score will be recruited in the next experiment and divided into high and low subgroup. Then, subjects are randomly assigned to receive either intranasal administration of oxytocin (24 IU) or placebo. 45 min later, subject need to complete an attentional bias task named rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task in fMRI scanner.

Enrollment: 120 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• healthy subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders

Exclusion criteria

• history of head injury;
• claustrophobia;
• medical or psychiatric illness.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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120 participants in 4 patient groups, including a placebo group

high autistic and oxytocin group

Experimental group

Description:

subject with high ASQ scores will receive oxytocin treatment

Treatment:

Behavioral: screen high autistic subjects

Drug: oxytocin

low autistic and oxytocin group

Experimental group

Description:

subject with low ASQ scores will receive oxytocin treatment

Treatment:

Behavioral: screen low autistic subjects

Drug: oxytocin

high autistic and placebo group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

subject with high ASQ scores will receive placebo treatment

Treatment:

Drug: placebo

Behavioral: screen high autistic subjects

low autistic and placebo group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

subject with low ASQ scores will receive placebo treatment

Treatment:

Drug: placebo

Behavioral: screen low autistic subjects