NCT03426176

The Interaction Between Oxytocin and Serotonin

The Interaction Between Oxytocin and Serotonin on the Social-emotional Brain Networks

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

the study aims to explore whether there is an interaction between oxytocin and serotonin in the regulation of emotion-based behavior by using a between-subject randomized double blind pharmacological fMRI design during which 4 groups of healthy male subjects will receive combinations of oxytocin nasal-spray (versus placebo) and acute tryptophan depletion (ATD, versus placebo)

Detailed description

Convergent evidence from animal models and human studies suggests that both, serotonin and oxytocin are important regulators of social emotional behavior. Evidence is emerging that both systems interact in this domain. To determine the interaction of both systems on human social behavior, the present study aims to combine a randomized placebo-controlled administration of modulators of both systems (Oxytocin nasal-spray and acute tryptophan depletion, ATD) and their combination within a pharmaco-fMRI experiment. To determine effects on the neural networks engaged in social emotional processing, healthy male subjects will receive single doses of oxytocin (24IU) versus placebo and ATD (75.2g) versus placebo before fMRI measures of emotion perception and resting state will be acquired. To control for potential effects of pre-medication personality traits as well as effects of medicines on mood, subjects will be administered pre-treatment assessing relevant personality traits and post-treatment assessments of mood.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	oxytocin nasal spray	intranasal administration of oxytocin (24 IU)
DRUG	intranasal placebo treatment (placebo-control for oxytocin)	intranasal administration of placebo nasal spray
DRUG	ATD treatment	oral administration of ATD (75.2g) (Acute Tryptophan Depletion)
DRUG	oral placebo treatment (placebo-control for ATD)	oral administration of a tryptophan-balanced mixture (78.2g)

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-02-01
• Primary completion: 2019-06-15
• Completion: 2019-07-15
• First posted: 2018-02-08
• Last updated: 2018-02-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China