Adult Study Oxytocin - fMRI

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2017-09-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Male

Summary

In this study, investigators will examine the behavioral effects and neurophysiological mechanisms of the pro-social neuropeptide oxytocin in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia. Such research is a necessary first step towards identifying whether intranasal oxytocin administration can serve as an adjunct treatment for social impairments in schizophrenia.

Aim 1: To examine the effects of exogenous oxytocin on patterns of neural activation as measured by fMRI during a well-characterized affect-labeling task in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects.

Hypothesis A: Patients will exhibit amygdalar hyperactivity and PNS hypo-activity when passively viewing faces, which will be normalized by administration of oxytocin.

Hypothesis B: Patients will exhibit hypo-activity of the vPFC when affectively labeling faces and this hypo-activity will be normalized by oxytocin administration.

• Phase: Early Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco
• Collaborator: San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
• Treatments: Oxytocin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria for Patients:

• Male

• SCID-IV confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

• Clinically stable

• No changes to medications for the past week

Inclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls:

• Male

• SCID-IV confirmed no diagnosis of a current Axis I disorder within the last year

Exclusion Criteria for Patients and Healthy Controls:

• Meeting criteria for current substance abuse or dependence or illicit drug use within the last month (nicotine use is acceptable) as determined by a Urine Toxicology Drug Screening

• Any illness that affects the nasal passages and impairs the delivery of a nasal spray

• Presence of any neurological or significant medical disorder, including medical illnesses that could interfere with physiological recording such as cardiac arrhythmias

• A pacemaker, extensive dental work, or any magnetic metal implants and upper body tattoos

• Pregnancy

• Claustrophpbia

• Hearing difficulties

• A history of seizures

• Failure to receive a passing score on the reading test

Additional Exclusion Criteria for Patients and Healthy Controls:

• Taking any psychotropic medication or any medication that affects the autonomic or cardiovascular systems.

• Schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder in a first degree relative

• Failure to receive a passing score on the MOCA