Oxytocin, Emotions and Mirror Neurons

The Influence of Oxytocin on the Mirror Neuron System: Developing Brain Imaging Paradigms for Future Therapeutic Interventions

The purpose of this project is to investigate the possible effect of intranasally administered Oxytocin (OT) on specific mirror neuron areas in human brain. The mirror neuron system (MNS) is thought to be involved in action perception and understanding, and may also underlie more complex cognitive processes such as imitation. We will use electroencephalographic (EEG) investigations to examine brain activity while participants complete two different tasks, consisting of the observation and imitation of emotional facial expressions (video presented) and the observation and execution of simple grasping actions (live presented), respectively. In addition, before the beginning of the EEG recording session, subjects will be randomly assigned to two different groups (Oxytocin or Placebo group) and will receive a dose of either intranasal Oxytocin or Placebo solution. Oxytocin is a polypeptide hormone that plays a critical role in social behavior. We will identify mu and beta rhythm from the ongoing EEG and examine suppression as a function of emotion and goal directed action perception and imitation/execution.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Social Cognition; Expressed Emotion
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Oxytocin; Other: Placebo

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 44
• Phase: Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • College Park, Maryland, United States, 20742
      • Child Development Lab, University of Maryland

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 30 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Right-hand dominant
• Sufficient spoken English so as to be able to complete testing validly and give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Currently taking any psychotropic or cognition enhancing medication
• History of schizophrenia or any other psychotic disorder, including Bipolar Disorder
• Family history of psychosis
• Neurological disease or clinically significant head injury
• Physical disability that substantially impairs motor function
• Current diagnosis of polydypsic-induced hyponatremia
• Substance dependence or abuse in the past 6 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Oxytocin; The experimental oxytocin group will receive 24 international units (IU) of oxytocin using an intranasal administration (self-administered nasal spray) one time before the experimental session.	Drug: Oxytocin; The experimental oxytocin group will receive 24 international units (IU) of oxytocin using an intranasal administration (self-administered nasal spray) one time before the experimental session; Other Names: Syntocinon nasal spray
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; The placebo comparator group will receive sterile saline through intranasal administration, consisting of the same salt solution in which the hormone will be dissolved , but lacking the hormone itself.	Other: Placebo; The placebo comparator group will receive sterile saline through intranasal administration, consisting of the same salt solution in which the hormone will be dissolved , but lacking the hormone itself.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
EEG mu rhythm suppression	The EEG mu rhythm suppression is an index of the human mirror neuron system (alpha and lower beta band activity (8-13 and ~20Hz) recorded over the sensorimotor cortex. EEG will be recorded during the performance of an emotion imitation task (Carr et al., 2003) in which participants will be asked to imitate and internally generate facial emotions seen on a computer screen, or to simply observe, as well as performing a simple grasping action task. Changes in the mu suppression while the performance of these tasks, before and after oxytocin/placebo administration, will be the primary outcome measure.	Before oxytocin/placebo administration and 45 minutes after

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Collaborators: University of Maryland, College Park
• Investigators: Study Director: Nathan Fox, PhD, University of Maryland, College Park

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Carr L, Iacoboni M, Dubeau MC, Mazziotta JC, Lenzi GL. Neural mechanisms of empathy in humans: a relay from neural systems for imitation to limbic areas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Apr 29;100(9):5497-502. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0935845100. Epub 2003 Apr 7.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 15, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 27, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): August 28, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 19, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 15, 2019
• Last Verified: August 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Oxytocin; Mirror neurons; Imitation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Reproductive Control Agents; Oxytocics; Oxytocin
• Other Study ID Numbers: HP-00059904

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No