Oxytocin's Effect on Attention Training

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Drug: Oxytocin; Drug: placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03128242

UESTC-neuSCAN-32

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to investigate oxytocin's effect on attentional bias training. Healthy participants will undergo a dot-probe task-based training to direct their attention away from negative stimuli (as compared to neutral). Effects of the training will be assessed using an eye-tracking anti-saccade task.

Full description

In this study, a dot-probe task will be used to examine if subjects show an attentional bias towards negative stimuli and whether the bias can be modified using a subsequent attentional bias training. During this training participants learn to direct their attention away from threatening stimuli. In a between-subject placebo controlled design participants will receive either intranasal oxytocin or placebo before the training to examine whether oxytocin could facilitate the effects of the attention training. Effects of the training and of oxytocin on the training will be assessed by means of an eye-tracking anti-saccade task. Based on previous studies showing the strongest effects of threat-attentional bias training in high anxious subjects, the study will recruit participants with an elevated trait anxiety.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• male participants with elevated trait anxiety (> 45 scores as assessed with the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, Spielberger, 1983)
• without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders

Exclusion criteria

• history of head injury
• medical or psychiatric illness
• smoking or drinking 24 hours before the experiment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

oxytocin group

Experimental group

Description:

oxytocin treatment

Treatment:

Drug: Oxytocin

placebo group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

placebo treatment

Treatment:

Drug: placebo