Intranasal Oxytocin's Differential Modulation of Emotion Regulation and Neural Responses in Men to be Investigated

Emotion dysregulation is a core feature of many psychiatric conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), significantly impacting quality of life and social functioning. Current therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy, often have limited efficacy or undesirable side effects for some individuals. Oxytocin, a neuropeptide known for its role in social bonding, trust, and empathy, has shown promise in modulating social cognition and emotional processing. However, its specific effects on emotion regulation abilities and the underlying neural mechanisms, particularly comparing different administration routes, remain underexplored. This protocol aims to fill this gap by examining how intranasal versus oral oxytocin influences these processes.

This study protocol outlines a plan to investigate the effects of oxytocin on emotion regulation in men. Participants will receive either intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) or oral (lingual) oxytocin (24 IU). The primary endpoint is to compare the effects of these administration routes on neural responses to emotional scenes, measured via fMRI scanning 45-70 minutes post-treatment. Secondary outcomes include comparing neural functional connectivity during emotional scene processing and correlating neural activation with behavioral effects. The study will employ an implicit emotional paradigm to assess changes in emotional processing.