The effects of Cognitive Bias Modification training and oxytocin administration on trust in maternal support: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Martine W F T Verhees, Eva Ceulemans, Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marinus H van IJzendoorn, Simon de Winter, Guy Bosmans, Martine W F T Verhees, Eva Ceulemans, Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marinus H van IJzendoorn, Simon de Winter, Guy Bosmans

Abstract

Background: Lack of trust in parental support is a transdiagnostic risk factor for the development of psychological problems throughout the lifespan. Research suggests that children's cognitive attachment representations and related information processing biases could be an important target for interventions aiming to build trust in the parent-child relationship. A paradigm that can alter these biases and increase trust is that of Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM), during which a target processing bias is systematically trained. Trust-related CBM training effects could possibly be enhanced by oxytocin, a neuropeptide that has been proposed to play an important role in social information processing and social relationships. The present article describes the study protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at testing the individual and combined effects of CBM training and oxytocin administration on trust in maternal support.

Methods/design: One hundred children (aged 8-12 years) are randomly assigned to one of four intervention conditions. Participants inhale a nasal spray that either contains oxytocin (OT) or a placebo. Additionally, they receive either a CBM training aimed at positively modifying trust-related information processing bias or a neutral placebo training aimed to have no trust-related effects. Main and interaction effects of the interventions are assessed on three levels of trust-related outcome measures: trust-related interpretation bias; self-reported trust; and mother-child interactional behavior. Importantly, side-effects of a single administration of OT in middle childhood are monitored closely to provide further information on the safety of OT administration in this age group.

Discussion: The present RCT is the first study to combine CBM training with oxytocin to test for individual and combined effects on trust in mother. If effective, CBM training and oxytocin could be easily applicable and nonintrusive additions to interventions that target trust in the context of the parent-child relationship.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02737254 . Registered on 23 March 2016.

Keywords: Attachment; Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM); Interpretation bias; Middle childhood; Oxytocin; Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT); Trust.

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study design was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee UZ KU Leuven/Research (S57012) in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed written consent is obtained from each participating mother, informed written assent is obtained from each participating child.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Participant flowchart

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