Does Oxytocin Modulate Rewarding Effects in Women and Fluctuating Across the Menstrual Cycle

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
The aim of the study is to explore how the rewarding effect of men's verbal compliment is modulated by oxytocin and gonadal hormone in a romantic context.

Detailed Description
-----------------
To investigate whether oxytocin (24IU) might interact with female sex hormone in modulating the rewarding effect of compliment to women in a romantic context. The study employs a double-blind, within-subject, placebo-control design. Women will be administered with the same drug twice (oxytocin or placebo) respectively the fertile and luteal phase followed by a MRI scanning. During fMRI participants will rate men's attraction based on their facial pictures of average attractiveness associated with compliments of different combination of form and topic. Each male face will be paired with two sentences of the same kind. After the fMRI participants will recall the judgment followed by a memory test during which they have to indicate whether the they have seen the face during scanning (old) or whether it is an unknown face (new).

Official Title
-----------------
Does Oxytocin Modulate Rewarding Effect of Metaphorical Compliments Fluctuating With Women's Fertility and Luteal Phase in a Romantic Context

Conditions
-----------------
Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Drug: Oxytocin
* Drug: Placebos


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Single in the past 3 months Healthy subjects with regular menstrual cycle Exclusion Criteria: Pregnant, menstruating, taking oral contraceptives metal implanted, with tatoo, or hair dyed within 6 months participated in another intranasal experiment within 6 months with a history of past or current psychiatric or neurological disorder

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 25 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: oxytocin fertility<br>intranasal oxytocin administration (24IU) in women's fertility phase (LH>40 mIU/ml) | Drug: Oxytocin<br> <br> * Other names: oxytocin treatment;|
| Placebo Comparator: placebos fertility<br>intranasal placebo administration (24IU) in women's fertility phase (LH>40 mIU/ml) | Drug: Placebos<br> <br> * Other names: placebo control;|
| Experimental: oxytocin luteal<br>intranasal oxytocin administration (24IU) in women's luteal phase (LH<30 mIU/ml) | Drug: Oxytocin<br> <br> * Other names: oxytocin treatment;|
| Placebo Comparator: placebos luteal<br>intranasal placebos administration (24IU) in women's luteal phase (LH<30 mIU/ml) | Drug: Placebos<br> <br> * Other names: placebo control;|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Oxytocin effect on neural activity as assessed via fMRI towards reward between fertility and luteal phases | Effects of oxytocin versus placebo nasal spray on neural processing of reward will be compared between different cycle phases | 45min-120min after treatment | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
metaphorical language, oxytocin, sex hormone, verbal reward, mate selection