Oxytocin Effect on Attentional Bias Towards Emotional Expression Faces in Individuals With High and Low Autistic Traits: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study

What Was Tested

This registered early phase 1 trial tested Oxytocin.

To investigate whether oxytocin alter attentional bias towards emotional expression faces in individuals with high and low autistic traits, and the brain mechanism of this effect.

It had four arms (groups): high autistic and oxytocin group (experimental), low autistic and oxytocin group (experimental), high autistic and placebo group (placebo comparator) and low autistic and placebo group (placebo comparator).

Subject with high ASQ scores will receive oxytocin treatment.

Subject with low ASQ scores will receive oxytocin treatment.

Subject with high ASQ scores will receive placebo treatment.

The registry classes the interventions as behavioral and drug.

Who Took Part

The registry lists 120 planned participants were the target.

It was open to men only aged from 18 years up to 30 years.

Healthy volunteers could join, not only people with the condition.

Examples of who could join: Healthy subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders.

The full record lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria; among the exclusions: history of head injury;; medical or psychiatric illness.

How the Study Was Run

Design: randomized, parallel-group and double-blind.

Because people in this Oxytocin study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

The Oxytocin group and the comparison group ran side by side rather than switching.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Oxytocin, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Those kept unaware of assignments: participant and investigator.

It started in 2016-05 with completion listed for 2019-06.

It ran at 1 site in China.

Its stated primary purpose is prevention.

What Was Measured

The main thing measured (primary outcome): attentional bias toward emotional expression faces (time frame: 1 hour).

It also tracked 1 secondary outcome, for example brain activity during RSVP task.

What This Means in Plain Language

Put simply, this is a early phase 1, randomized trial of Oxytocin in 120 people.

Its status is unknown; no results are posted to the registry yet, so nothing here describes outcomes.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page, all human trials.