Effects of Oxytocin on Reinforcement Learning and Interoception

The Modulatory Effects of Oxytocin on Reinforcement Learning and Interoceptive Processing

The main aim of the study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin has effects on reinforcement learning under dynamic environment and interoceptive processing based on behavioral and electroencephalogram (EEG) responses.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Intranasal oxytocin; Drug: intranasal placebo

Detailed Description

A double-blinded, placebo-controled, between-subject design is employed in this study. In a randomized order, a total of 80 healthy males are instructed to self-administrated intranasal spray of oxytocin or placebo. (1) Participants first complete a probabilistic reward learning task 45 minutes after treatment with behavioral (response time and accuracy) and EEG data (ERP components such as FRN, ERN and P300) being collected during this task. (2) A resting-state recording and a heartbeat counting task are conducted following the learning task with ECG and EEG data being collected. Personality traits of subjects are assessed using validated Chinese version questionnaires including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory(CFI), Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System Scale (BIS/BAS). Subjects are asked to complete Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) when they just arrive, before and after the tasks.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Sichuan
    • Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 611731
      • University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC)

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 28 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of brain injury medical or mental illness.

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; a single dose of 24 international units (IU) of OT will be administered with 3 puffs of treatment to each nostril.	Drug: Intranasal oxytocin; Each subject will be assigned to intranasal administration of oxytocin (24 IU).
Experimental: placebo; a single dose of 24 international units (IU) of placebo will be administered with 3 puffs of treatment to each nostril.	Drug: intranasal placebo; Each subject will be assigned to intranasal placebo.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Behavioral index in the learning task: chioce accuracy	The accuracy of subjects choosing the better option.	45-65 minutes after treatment administration
Behavioral index in the heartbeat counting task: interoceptive accuracy	Individuals' ability to perceive internal cardiac signals	65-75 minutes after treatment administration

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
ERP components in the learning task: ERN, FRN, P300, N2pc	ERN and FRN are indices of reward expectancy and prediction error in reinforcement learning. P300 is associated with attention allocation. N2pc is an early component associated with visual selective attention.	45-65 minutes after treatment administration
ERP components in the heartbeat counting task: heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP)	HEP is a scalp event-related potential that reflects cortical processing of cardiac interoceptive signals	65-75 minutes after treatment administration

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Yao Shuxia, Dr, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 15, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 20, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): December 15, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 8, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 18, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 19, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 17, 2024
• Last Verified: January 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: oxytocin; learning; interoception
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Reproductive Control Agents; Oxytocics; Oxytocin
• Other Study ID Numbers: UESTC-neuSCAN-83

Drug and device information, study documents

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