Oxytocin's Effect on Attention Training

An Eye-tracking Study to Investigate Oxytocin's Effect on Attentional Bias Training

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Oxytocin; Drug: placebo

Detailed 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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Benjamin Becker, Dr.; Email: ben_becker@gmx.de

Study Locations

• China
  • Sichuan
    • Chendu, Sichuan, China, 611731
      • Recruiting
      • School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
      • Contact: Benjamin Becker, Dr.; Email: ben_becker@gmx.de

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:

• 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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: oxytocin group; oxytocin treatment	Drug: Oxytocin; intranasal administration of oxytocin (24IU)
Placebo Comparator: placebo group; placebo treatment	Drug: placebo; intranasal administration of placebo (24IU)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Reaction time (RT) difference - oxytocin effects	Difference before and after oxytocin administration: reaction time to negative and neutral stimuli in the dot-probe task	Before drug administration (pre-treatment baseline) and 55 minutes after drug administration
Reaction time (RT) difference - training effects	Difference before and after training: reaction time to negative and neutral stimuli in the dot-probe task	Before drug administration - 55-90 minutes after drug administration
Saccade latency difference - training effects	Difference before and after training in saccade latency in the anti-saccade task	Before drug administration - 55-90 minutes after drug administration

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 25, 2016
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 30, 2018
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 30, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 17, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 20, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): April 25, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 29, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 26, 2018
• Last Verified: October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: oxytocin; attention training; eye-tracking; attention bias
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Reproductive Control Agents; Oxytocics; Oxytocin
• Other Study ID Numbers: UESTC-neuSCAN-32

Drug and device information, study documents

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