Oxytocin's effects on emotional processing and delivery routes
Official title: The Modulatory Effects of Oxytocin on Emotional Processing and Its Acting Routes
Run by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China · NCT07425938 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This test will see if intranasal oxytocin changes how healthy adult men process emotions and whether using a nasal vasoconstrictor to block peripheral uptake alters those effects.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 30 Years |
| Sex | Men only |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chengdu, Sichuan) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 24, 2026 |
| Main results expected | April 15, 2026 |
| Study ends | April 15, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | February 23, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07425938 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are healthy adult men without current or past psychiatric or neurological disorders, without metal implants, and not taking long-term medications.
✕Probably not a fit
People with psychiatric or neurological illnesses, women (since only men are enrolled), those with metal implants, or those on chronic medications would likely not benefit from participating or from the study findings directly.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This double-blind, between-subject, placebo-controlled experiment randomizes 120 healthy adult men to three nasal treatments (vasoconstrictor + oxytocin, placebo + oxytocin, or vasoconstrictor + placebo). Participants complete questionnaires, provide two blood samples, and undergo resting-state and task-based fMRI while behavioral and physiological responses to emotional stimuli are recorded. The protocol uses a vasoconstrictor (Otrivin) to limit peripheral increases in oxytocin and compares neural and behavioral outcomes to clarify nose-to-brain versus nose-to-blood routes. Total scanning and task time is about 65 minutes with breaks and is designed to link peripheral concentration changes to functional effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could clarify how intranasal oxytocin affects emotional processing and guide safer, more targeted use of oxytocin-based interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have reported behavioral and neural effects of intranasal oxytocin, but the relative contributions of direct nose-to-brain versus peripheral routes remain unresolved.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders Exclusion Criteria: * History of head injury. * Medical or psychiatric illness. * Subjects take a certain drug for a long period of time. * Subjects have metal implants in their bodies.
Where it's running
-
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC)
Chengdu, Sichuan, China Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Shuxia Yao, Dr — University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
- Study coordinator: Shuxia Yao, Dr
- Email: yaoshuxia@uestc.edu.cn
- Phone: +86 18111297596
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.