The Association of Affective Resonance With Empathy Modulated by Negative Symptomatology and Oxytocin

Summary

In previous studies the neuropeptide oxytocin has been in particular associated with social enhancing and anxiety relieving effects.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of oxytocin on empathy in patients with schizophrenia. On a neurobiological level, social effects mediated by oxytocin are based on oxytocin's influence on the complexly regulated mesocorticolimbic dopamine system. Preliminary studies have already shown that oxytocin increases neuronal connections between social reward expectancy networks and networks for socioemotional processes in the brain, which on a behavioral level leads to increased social activation, motivation, and also improved social perception. Furthermore, an increase in empathy modulated by the amygdala has been shown in healthy individuals following oxytocin administration. In particular, primary psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, are associated with deficits in the domain of social cognition, including empathy, with the degree of negative symptoms playing an important mediating role. Another study demonstrated a significantly lower expression of empathy as well as a significantly lower oxytocin level in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy subjects. According to the hypothesis of social salience, which describes an increased importance of certain social stimuli, the effect of oxytocin varies depending on specific contexts and individual variables of the perceiving person, such as the degree of negative symptoms. Therefore, based on such preliminary findings, the research project will explore an effect of oxytocin on empathy within a positively experienced and controlled context, especially in patients with schizophrenia regarding their negative symptoms.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Interventions

OTHER

Oxytocin

Oxytocin nasal spray in a positive social setting.

OTHER

Placebo

Placebo nasal spray in a positive social setting.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Charite University, Berlin, Germany

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Marco Zierhut, Dr. · Charitè - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

• Eric Hahn, PD · Charitè - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-08-02

Primary Completion

2021-11-25

Completion

2022-01-30

Countries

• Germany

Study Locations