The Effects of Oxytocin Treatment on Social Touch

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Drug: Intranasal oxytocin; Drug: Placebo; Drug: Oral oxytocin

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05265806

UESTC-neuSCAN-79

Details and patient eligibility

About

The main aim of the study is to investigate the modulatory effects of oxytocin (24IU) administration on the affective processing of touch manipulated differently in gentle caress-like stroke vs. social massage with a moderate pressure.

Full description

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled mixed experimental design with three arms (intranasal oxytocin administration vs. oral oxytocin administration vs. placebo administration, each with 60 subjects) will be employed in the current study. 35 minutes after treatment subjects will be applied two different types of pleasant touch (social massage vs. caress-like stroking) to their calf. After each applied touch stimulation session, the subjects will be asked to rate their subjective experience of the touch including the perceived pleasantness, arousal, intensity and payment. The neural basis of touch processing will be measured via simultaneously acquired fNIRS together with skin conductance responses and the electrocardiogram recording. Blood samples will be taken before and after the treatment as well as after each run session to measure plasma oxytocin levels to explore the associations with primary outcome measure (the behavioral and neural measures of touch processing). Mixed-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) with treatment as between-subject factor and condition as within-subject factor will be used to investigate oxytocin effects on social touch processing.

To control potential confounding effects across groups, before the experiment all participants will be asked to complete a range of Chinese versions of validated questionnaires on personality, traits, attitude towards interpersonal touch and sensitivity to reward: Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ), Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (CBSS), the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), social touch questionnaire (STQ), Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), Sensory Over-Responsivity (SensOR) Scales and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (C-IRI). And associations between questionnaire scores (especially the ASQ and STQ scores) with primary outcome measure will be explored to investigate modulatory effects of autistic traits. Additionally, to control for potential confounding effects of treatment on mood across the experiment, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) will be administered immediately before and 30 minutes after the treatment. Participants will also complete the PANAS after each type of touch condition to further measure the modulatory effects of stroking touch and massage on mood.

Enrollment: 180 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders and without any current psychotherapeutic medication.

Exclusion criteria

• Any history of brain injury, psychiatric/physical illness, alcohol/substance abuse, or other major health concern.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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180 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Intranasal oxytocin

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be randomly assigned to the administration of oxytocin intranasal spray (24 IU).

Treatment:

Drug: Intranasal oxytocin

Oral oxytocin

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be randomly assigned to the administration of oxytocin lingual spray (24 IU).

Treatment:

Drug: Oral oxytocin

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants will be randomly assigned to the administration of placebo.

Treatment:

Drug: Placebo