Oral oxytocin and atosiban effects on social attention in healthy men
The Influence and Regulatory Role of Exogenous and Endogenous Oxytocin on Social Attention in Humans
This trial will test whether a lingual oxytocin spray, alone or with the blocker atosiban, changes social attention and related behaviors in healthy men.
Quick facts
| Phase | Early Phase 1 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 250 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 35 Years |
| Sex | Male |
| Sponsor | University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chengdu, Sichuan) |
| Trial ID | NCT07093060 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject experiment in healthy male volunteers testing two doses of lingual (sublingual/supragingival) oxytocin (24 IU and 48 IU) with and without the oxytocin receptor antagonist atosiban. Participants complete baseline questionnaires and provide repeated blood and saliva samples across three sequential medication administrations. After dosing and a monitored waiting period, participants perform four eye-tracking visual attention tasks: dynamic social versus geometric stimuli, gaze-following, face emotion processing, and empathy for naturalistic scenes. Behavioral outcomes will be compared across dose and task conditions and related to biological measures to determine oxytocin receptor–mediated effects.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Healthy adult men without current or past psychiatric or neurological disorders, not taking psychotropic medications (including nicotine), and with normal vision are eligible.
Not a fit: People with psychiatric or neurological disorders, those on psychotropic medications or nicotine, individuals with visual impairments, and populations excluded by the trial (including women and children) would not directly benefit from this protocol's findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could show that a non-invasive oral oxytocin spray can alter social attention and help guide development of new approaches to target social-cognitive difficulties.
How similar studies have performed: Previous intranasal oxytocin studies have shown mixed effects on social cognition, and the oral/lingual route combined with receptor blockade is relatively novel and less tested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy male subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders Exclusion Criteria: * History of or current neurological/psychiatric disorders; * Use of psychotropic medications (including nicotine) * Visual impairments
Where this trial is running
Chengdu, Sichuan
- School of Life science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China — Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Keith M Kendrick, PhD
- Email: k.kendrick.uestc@gmail.com
- Phone: 86-28-61830811
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.