The goal of this study is to test the effects of oxytocin on heart rate variability and pupil diameter, both of which have subtle effects on the activity rate of the autonomic nervous system.
This protocol focuses on two measures of autonomic control to quantify central actions of oxytocin. First, the study team proposes to examine the influence of oxytocin on heart rate variability with focus on its effect on high frequency variability, most commonly ascribed to parasympathetic nervous system activity acting to brake sympathetic tone. Intranasal oxytocin has been demonstrated to have a large effect size on this measure which can be repeated at frequent intervals. As a secondary assessment of parasympathetic activity, the study team will measure low frequency fluctuation in pupil diameter, termed hippus, which also reflects parasympathetic nervous system activity. This outcome measure can be assessed in 3 seconds using equipment currently being used under Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved protocols.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
22
Wake Forest Baptist Health
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Fluctuation in Pupil Diameter (Hippus) -Pre Drug Administration
Magnitude of power at the dominant frequency in the Fourier transform of pupil diameter in the .1-2 Hz range, termed hippus. Pupil measurements will be made for 20 seconds every 5 minutes for 20 minutes. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) essentially takes what looks like a random, noisy signal and distills it into a combination of many sine waves, each with different frequencies and different sizes (think ocean waves, which has the big wave we see and the small up and down wavelets on the top of the water). The primary outcome measure is the size of the largest wave in the frequency range above in this FFT analysis. Its dimensions are milliseconds\^2.
Time frame: From 20 minutes before until study drug injection
Fluctuation in Pupil Diameter (Hippus) -Post Drug Administration
Magnitude of power at the dominant frequency in the Fourier transform of pupil diameter in the .1-2 Hz range, termed hippus. Pupil measurements will be made for 20 seconds every 5 minutes until 90 minutes after study drug administration. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) essentially takes what looks like a random, noisy signal and distills it into a combination of many sine waves, each with different frequencies and different sizes (think ocean waves, which has the big wave we see and the small up and down wavelets on the top of the water). The primary outcome measure is the size of the largest wave in the frequency range above in this FFT analysis. Its dimensions are milliseconds\^2.
Time frame: For 90 minutes after study drug administration
Fluctuation in Pupil Diameter (Hippus) -Post Drug Administration
Magnitude of power at the dominant frequency in the Fourier transform of pupil diameter in the .1-2 Hz range, termed hippus. Pupil measurements will be made for 20 seconds every 5 minutes until 120 minutes after study drug administration. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) essentially takes what looks like a random, noisy signal and distills it into a combination of many sine waves, each with different frequencies and different sizes (think ocean waves, which has the big wave we see and the small up and down wavelets on the top of the water). The primary outcome measure is the size of the largest wave in the frequency range above in this FFT analysis. Its dimensions are milliseconds\^2.
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Time frame: For 120 minutes after study drug administration
Heart Rate Variability in the High Frequency Range
Magnitude of peak power in the 0.12-0.40 Hz frequency range of the Fast Fourier Transform of heart rate. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) essentially takes what looks like a random, noisy signal and distills it into a combination of many sine waves, each with different frequencies and different sizes (think ocean waves, which has the big wave we see and the small up and down wavelets on the top of the water). The primary outcome measure is the size of the largest wave in the frequency range above in this FFT analysis. Its dimensions are milliseconds\^2.
Time frame: From 20 minutes before until study drug injection
Heart Rate Variability in the High Frequency Range
Magnitude of peak power in the 0.12-0.40 Hz frequency range of the Fast Fourier Transform of heart rate. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) essentially takes what looks like a random, noisy signal and distills it into a combination of many sine waves, each with different frequencies and different sizes (think ocean waves, which has the big wave we see and the small up and down wavelets on the top of the water). The primary outcome measure is the size of the largest wave in the frequency range above in this FFT analysis. Its dimensions are milliseconds\^2.
Time frame: For 90 minutes after study drug administration
Heart Rate Variability in the High Frequency Range
Magnitude of peak power in the 0.12-0.40 Hz frequency range of the Fast Fourier Transform of heart rate. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) essentially takes what looks like a random, noisy signal and distills it into a combination of many sine waves, each with different frequencies and different sizes (think ocean waves, which has the big wave we see and the small up and down wavelets on the top of the water). The primary outcome measure is the size of the largest wave in the frequency range above in this FFT analysis. Its dimensions are milliseconds\^2.
Time frame: For 120 minutes after study drug administration