Role of Oxytocin in Telling and Detecting Lies

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The investigators are interested in the impact of intranasal oxytocin in unethical behavior.

Detailed Description
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The objective of this project is to further explore the role of oxytocin in moral judgment and ethical behavior. Oxytocin is a peptide hormone produced in a variety of hypothalamic neurons. It is released into the brain or brought into general circulation through sensory stimuli in a pulsatile fashion. In social psychology research, oxytocin is hypothesized to coordinate both the causes and effects of positive social interactions in a biofeedback loop.

Official Title
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Role of Oxytocin in Telling and Detecting Lies

Conditions
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Dyssocial Behavior

Intervention / Treatment
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* Drug: Oxytocin


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Male Exclusion Criteria: _____ _____BP > 130/85, HRT > 95 (can be included at discretion of study physician/designee) _____History of seizures _____Neurological Disorder _____Current psychiatric disorder _____Previous psychiatric disorder (can be included at discretion of PI) Date last episode (if > 1 year, include; if <1 year, at discretion of PI) _____Current use of psychoactive drugs _____Previous use of psychoactive drugs (can be included at discretion of PI) _____Date last medicated_____ _____Type of medication___________________________________ _____Current use of anticoagulants _____Current use of corticosteroids _____Previous head trauma (can be included at discretion of PI) _____Alcoholism or substance abuse _____Carcinoma of the breast or prostate _____Renal or Hepatic diseases _____Chronic lung diseases _____Cancer _____Liver problems _____Hypertension/Cardiac diseases _____Cardiovascular Disease _____Nephritis _____Diabetes (use of insulin) /Obesity _____Endocrine disease or malignancy _____Asthma (can be included as discretion of study physician/designee, if episodes are infrequent, nonmedicated, and no active problems at time of study) Medication Frequency of episodes____ _____Date of last episode_____ _____Migraines(can be included as discretion of study physician/designee, if episodes are infrequent, nonmedicated, and no active problems at time of study) Medication _____Frequency of migraines_____ _____Date of last migraine_____ _____High levels of physical contact with women or children

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 30 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Male

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

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


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: oxytocin<br>Intranasal 24 IU oxytocin self-administration. | Drug: Oxytocin<br>* Intranasal oxytocin is hypothesized to amplify the influence of social norms on unethical behavior.<br>* Other names: syntocinon;|
| Placebo Comparator: placebo<br>Intranasal placebo. 125 mg of 0.5% cholorobutanol to 50 ml saline, with approximately 5 pH. The solution will then be sterilized using a 0.22 micron filter. | Drug: Oxytocin<br>* Intranasal oxytocin is hypothesized to amplify the influence of social norms on unethical behavior.<br>* Other names: syntocinon;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unethical behavior | To measure unethical behavior, we will calculate whether participants took more money than they actually earned on a problem-solving task. | 130 minutes |