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Oxytocin

Pitocin, Syntocinon

Quick Stats
Studies 93
Trials 100
Completed EARLY PHASE1 INTERVENTIONAL NCT01680718

Neuropeptides and Social Behavior

View on ClinicalTrials.gov Updated Dec 15, 2025

Brief Summary

It has long been established that interpersonal relationships can have a profound impact on health and well-being. Yet, we are still learning about the complex biological processes that contribute to positive social interactions and the ability to develop and maintain social relationships. Recent research has begun to focus on oxytocin and vasopressin, neuropeptides that are naturally produced in the hypothalamus, because administration of these neuropeptides has been associated with increased trust, generosity, empathy, cooperation, memory of social stimuli (e.g., faces), and brain activity in neural regions associated with social and emotional processes. To date, several aspects of oxytocin and vasopressin's effects on social behavior have been unexplored. As such, the overarching goal of this project is to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin and vasopressin on social working memory, deception detection, sensitivity to interpersonal distance, empathy, and altruistic behavior. Understanding how oxytocin and vasopressin influence these aspects of social functioning will help to inform research that has begun to establish the potential for use of these neuropeptides in psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia that are characterized by social deficits. For this study, we will recruit 150 healthy adults without a history of medical or psychiatric illness to come to the laboratory. In the first session, participants will complete several questionnaires. In the second session, participants will be randomly assigned to receive oxytocin, vasopressin, or placebo. The study nurses will measure temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure (female participants will also be asked to undergo a pregnancy test) before drug administration. Participants will then complete computer tasks. During the second session, we will also collect a saliva sample for genetic analysis and participants will be asked to complete several additional questionnaires. At the end of the experimental session, participants will be fully debriefed. The investigators hypothesize that compared to placebo, oxytocin and/or vasopressin will improve social working memory and deception detection, and increase empathy and altruism. It is also hypothesized that main effects will not be found for oxytocin or vasopressin, but rather, analyses of relevant moderators will elucidate these findings.

Interventions

Name: Intranasal oxytocin
Type: DRUG
Description: Through the use of 1oz bottles attached with metered nasal pumps (1 puff = .1ml), participants will self-administer 24 IU oxytocin (Syntocinon, Novartis Pharmaceuticals). 5 puffs per nostril (1 puff = 2.4 IU oxytocin).
Name: Intranasal vasopressin
Type: DRUG
Description: Through the use of 1oz bottles attached with metered nasal pumps (1 puff = .1ml), participants will self-administer 20 IU vasopressin (American Regent Pharmaceuticals). 5 puffs per nostril (1 puff = 2 IU vasopressin).
Name: Intranasal placebo
Type: DRUG
Description: Through the use of 1oz bottles attached with metered nasal pumps (1 puff = .1ml), participants will self-administer 5 puffs per nostril. Placebo consists of: 2 mls Glycerine and 3 mls purified water (methylparaben and propylparaben mixed according to purified water formula) for a total of 5 ml, which will be filtered with a 5mu filter (used previously; Bartz et al., 2010).

Primary Outcomes

Measure: Speed in social working memory task
TimeFrame: Between 40-90 minutes post administration
Description: Between group differences in the amount of time it takes to perform tasks involving social working memory
Measure: Accuracy of deception detection based on self-report
TimeFrame: Between 40-90 minutes post administration
Description: Between group differences in deception detection accuracy based on self-reported ratings of unfamiliar others
Measure: Self-reported perceptions of trust and threat
TimeFrame: Between 40-90 minutes post administration
Description: Between group differences in self-reported perceptions of trust and threat towards unfamiliar faces which appear to vary in interpersonal distance
Measure: Self-reported empathy and altruistic behavior
TimeFrame: Between 40-90 minutes post administration
Description: Between group differences in self-reported empathy (empathic concern and personal distress), and altruistic behavior.

Trial Information

NCT ID

NCT01680718

Status

Completed

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Phases

EARLY PHASE1

Sponsor

University of California, Los Angeles

Last Updated

December 15, 2025