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Influence of Oxytocin on Neurophysiological Responses to Live Faces

NCT03272321 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE1/PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 56

Last updated 2019-08-01

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Previous research has indicated that direct eye gaze compared to averted gaze, elicits a higher skin conductance response (SCR), and a more pronounced left frontal cortex activity than right frontal cortex activity (resulting in positive asymmetry scores). On a behavioral level, participants tend to look shorter at live faces with a direct gaze as compared to averted gaze (Akechi et al., 2013). Further, subjective evaluations showed that a direct gaze is rated more arousing and less pleasant than an averted gaze (Akechi et al., 2013; Hietanen, Leppänen, Peltola, Linna-aho, \& Ruuhiala, 2008).

Importantly, oxytocin administration increases the number of fixations and to looking time towards the eye region during live social interaction. Further, oxytocin has been shown to influence SCR and heart rate variability. Therefore, it is conceivable that oxytocin will not only influence the gaze duration of the participant, but also the physiological and neurological responses elicited by direct eye gaze.

In this study, the investigators will investigate whether oxytocin modulates the behavioural (eye gaze and subjective ratings), neurological (EEG) and physiological (skin conductance, heart rate and respiration) responses elicited by direct gaze.

Conditions

  • Oxytocin

Interventions

DRUG

Oxytocin

Syntocinon nasal spray

DRUG

Placebo

Placebo nasal spray

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Research Foundation Flanders

    collaborator OTHER

  • KU Leuven

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Kaat Alaerts, PhD · KU Leuven

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
MALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2017-07-24
Primary Completion
2018-05-18
Completion
2018-05-18

Countries

  • Belgium

Study Locations

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Entities

Drugs

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03272321 on ClinicalTrials.gov