Conditions: Focus of Study: Neural Correlates of Oxytocin Administration
Keywords: Oxytocin Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Social Motivation
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 20
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The proposed study will investigate the effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on neural activity associated with social and non-social motivation.

Detailed description:
Oxytocin is a well-known social and reproductive hormone demonstrated to have a variety of prosocial effects in humans including enhancing trust and generosity, improving positive communication, increasing eye gaze, and reducing anxiety. Oxytocin is hypothesized to facilitate social behaviors via its modulation of motivational networks. With this study, we will characterize oxytocin's effects on the neural processing of salient stimuli. We will utilize a noninvasive brain imaging technique, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to assess brain activity while participants perform tests designed to engage neural circuits associated with the processing of social and non-social stimuli.

Arms:
arm 1: Each participant will be studied using fMRI following self-administration of placebo. arm 2: Each participant will be studied using fMRI following self-administration of oxytocin.

Interventions: intervention 1: Placebo intervention 2: Oxytocin
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Placebo intranasal administration, 3 puffs per nostril delivered approximately 30 minutes prior to scanning session. intervention 2: Oxytocin intranasal administration, 24 IU, 3 puffs per nostril at 4 IU per puff delivered approximately 30 minutes prior to scanning session.

Protocol document: