The Influence of Oxytocin on Automatic Imitation Behaviour in Healthy Adults

Healthy Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01767025
• Other study ID #: 2012/550
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• First received: January 10, 2013
• Last updated: January 16, 2013
• Start date: November 2012
• Est. completion date: December 2012

Study information

• Verified date: January 2013
• Source: University Ghent
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Belgium: Ethics CommitteeBelgium: Federal Agency for Medicinal Products and Health Products
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

In this study, the influence of oxytocin on automatic imitation behaviour is investigated. Healthy adults will be administered with either oxytocin or a placebo, and will perform an imitation-inhibition task (as a measure of automatic imitation behaviour). To determine the specificity of the oxytocin effect, an unrelated cognitive task (Stroop task) will also be presented.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 60
• Est. completion date: December 2012
• Est. primary completion date: December 2012
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 18 Years to 40 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male

• non-smoker

Exclusion Criteria:

• no pacemaker, deep brain stimulation electrodes or other stimulation devices

• normal neurological history (no brain operations, migraine, epilepsy, alcoholism

• no epilepsy in family

• no chronic disease(s) that require constant medication (asthma, hypertension, diabetes)

• no medication 24h prior to experiment

• no alcohol or caffeine 2h prior to experiment

• no sleep deprivation 24h prior to experiment

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Basic Science

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Healthy

Intervention

Drug:
• Oxytocin

• Sea water

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Belgium	Ghent University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences	Ghent

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University Ghent	Research Foundation Flanders

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Belgium, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	To evaluate the automatic imitation behaviour 45 minutes after drug administration	Since the effects of oxytocin are only visible after 45 minutes, participants will have to wait 45 minutes before starting the experimental tasks. In the meantime, they will be given an unrelated cognitive-emotional filler task which will last ± 30 minutes. Afterwards, they will perform two experimental tasks: an imitation-inhibition task and a cognitive control task (Stroop task).	120 minutes	No