Oxytocin Effect on Attention Inhibition

What Was Tested

In this not phased trial, researchers set out to test Oxytocin.

It had two arms (groups): oxytocin group (experimental) and placebo group (placebo comparator).

The registry classes the interventions as drug.

More on the Plan

Saccadic eye movement tasks have been used to assess individual differences in the cognitive control of attention and alterations in psychiatric disorders.

To this end the present randomized between-subject placebo-controlled experiment examined whether intranasal OXT modulates behavior in an eye-tracking saccade / anti-saccade paradigm in healthy male subjects.

The paradigm used non-social (neutral shape) as well as social (happy, sad, angry, fear, and neutral faces) stimuli to explore emotion-specific effects of OXT.

Who Took Part

The registry lists 71 actual participants took part.

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: Male, healthy participants.

The full record lists 2 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria; among the exclusions: previous or current medical, psychiatric, neurological disorder; regular medication; use of any psychoactive substances in the 24 hours before experiment.

How the Study Was Run

The set-up was randomized, parallel-group and double-blind.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Oxytocin group and the comparison group should start out alike.

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

As a double-blind Oxytocin study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

Those kept unaware of assignments: participant and investigator.

It started in 2017-12-19 with completion listed for 2018-07-20.

It ran at 1 site in China.

Its stated primary purpose is basic science.

What Was Measured

Primary outcome: emotion-specific saccade latencies (time frame: 45 minutes - 100 minutes after treatment). emotion-specific error rates (time frame: 45 minutes - 100 minutes after treatment).

What This Means in Plain Language

Put simply, this is a not phased, randomized trial of Oxytocin in 71 people.

The trial is marked completed; no results are posted to the registry yet, so nothing here describes outcomes.

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