Oxytocin's Effect on the Advantageous- and Disadvantageous-inequity

Oxytocin Modulates the Processing of the Advantageous- and Disadvantageous-inequity

The main aim of the study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin modulates advantageous- and disadvantageous-inequity and whether oxytocin has similar effects on them or not.

Study Overview

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

Detailed Description

The main aim of the study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin modulates advantageous- and disadvantageous-inequity and its underlying neural mechanisms and whether oxytocin has similar effects on them or not. 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. A modified inequity decision-making task starts 45 minutes after treatment with behavioral (fairness rating, preference rating and the choice rate of unequal option) and fMRI data being collected during this task. 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), 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 task.

• 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: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders

Exclusion Criteria:

• history of head injury
• pregnant,menstruating,taking oral contraceptives
• medical or psychiatric illness.
• excessive head movement (> 3mm) during scanning

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; Subject assigned to receive 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; Subjects assigned to receive intranasal administration of placebo (24 IU).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Neural indices: fMRI-based measures of the outcome presentation stage	Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is employed to assess participants' blood-oxygen-level dependent signals when they are confronted with monetary allocations (advantageous-inequity, disadvantageous-inequity, and fair).	45-75 minutes after treatment administration
Behavioral index: fairness rating scores	Participants are instructed to rate their perceived levels of fairness to the allocation using a 9-point Likert scale within 4 seconds (1 = very unfair, 9 = very fair).	45-75 minutes after treatment administration
Behavioral index: preference rating scores	Participants are instructed to rate their perceived levels of preference to the allocation using a 9-point Likert scale within 4 seconds (1 = not at all, 9 = very preferable).	45-75 minutes after treatment administration

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Behavioral index: choice rate of unequal option	Participants are instructed to make a hypothetical choice between the actual allocation in the current trial and the other fair option if they were given another chance to re-choose.	45-75 minutes after treatment administration
Neural indices: fMRI-based measures of outcome and re-decision stages	Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is employed to assess participants' blood-oxygen-level dependent signals when they are instructed to make a hypothetical choice between the actual allocation in the current trial and the other fair option if they were given another chance to re-choose.	45-75 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): January 7, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 12, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): June 20, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 5, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 8, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 14, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 12, 2024
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: oxytocin; fMRI; advantageous inequity; disadvantageous inequity
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Reproductive Control Agents; Oxytocics; Oxytocin
• Other Study ID Numbers: UESTC-neuSCAN-88

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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