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The Role of Oxytocin and Interoception in Functional Neurological Disorder

NCT06084325 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 110

Last updated 2025-03-27

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The main goal of this project is to better understand the role of oxytocin and Interoception in FND. More specifically oxytocin's association with precision weighing, prediction errors and priors in the interoceptive domains will be investigated. To this end, several methods will be employed: analysis of interoceptive accuracy and sensibility (interoceptive tasks and questionnaires), biomarkers of oxytocin (peripheral, endogenous oxytocin), genetic oxytocin markers (such as allele-frequency in the oxytonergic receptor gene), epigenetics (methylation rates of genes related to oxytocin), neuroactivity (EEG).

Conditions

  • Functional Neurological Disorder

Interventions

DEVICE

Respiration resistance sensitivity task (RRST)

The RRST measures interoception on the domain of the breath and thus allows its (non-invasive) manipulation. The RRST apparatus includes a step motor that moves a wedge piece back and forth to change the obstruction level in the breathing circuit. This fully automated apparatus will change the breathing obstruction level via a computer-controlled algorithm. The patient breath by the month though this device.

BEHAVIORAL

Heartbeat Tracking (HBT)

The HBT measures interoception on the domain of the cardiovascular system, by assessing how accurate participants perceive their own heartbeat. After each time window participants will be asked how many heartbeats they counted, which will be compared to the actual heartbeat measured via electrocardiography (ECG).

DEVICE

Heartbeat evoked potential (HEP)

The HEP is computed by averaging EEG signals time-locked to specific peaks of simultaneously measured ECG signals. Therefore both an ECG and an EEG will be set up for the participants. The task during the HEP is to simply focus on interoceptive tones (the own heartbeat) with a control condition of focusing on exteroceptive tones (sounds played). A further condition of HEP measurement is the cardio-audio synchronization. Hereby, participants will be instructed to passively listen to sounds presented to them via in-ear phones while further fixating the cross.

DEVICE

Libet task

Additionally we also link the interoceptive domain of the breath to a well-known and established agency task measuring conscious intention. Participants will do two versions of the Libet taks while simultaneously recording their EEG and breathing signals with a respiratory belt.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

    collaborator OTHER

  • University of Fribourg

    lead OTHER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-10-05
Primary Completion
2025-01-24
Completion
2025-01-24

Countries

  • Switzerland

Study Locations

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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 NCT06084325 on ClinicalTrials.gov