Losartan Modulates Neural Responses to Looming Visual Stimuli: An Eye-tracking Study

Overview

The main aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of orally administered losartan on the perception of time-to-collision of threatening and non-threatening stimuli by combining a validated looming fear eye-tracking paradigm with a randomized between-subject placebo-controlled pharmacological trial design.

Animal models and initial findings in humans suggest a role of the angiotensin II antagonist losartan in socio- emotional processes. At the same time, the visual system's remarkable ability to perceive and interpret impending threats, notably through the "looming" phenomenon- a distinct pattern of optical expansion on the retina as objects approach, theoretically allows for precise estimation of the time-to-collision (TTC). It was demonstrated that the affective content of looming stimuli influences perceived TTC, with threatening objects judged as approaching sooner than non-threatening objects, hinting at a nuanced interaction between emotional valence and temporal perception. Within this context the present study aims to examine whether angiotensin II blockade via Losartan modulates the perception of time-to-collision towards threatening and non-threatening stimuli. To this end, healthy individuals will undergo a double-blind, between-subjects, placebo-controlled pharmaco-eye-tracking experiment and receive a single oral dose of losartan (50 mg) or placebo before performing a looming fear task 90 minutes after administration. The task paradigm will encompass threatening (butterfly, rabbit) and non-social (spider, snake) stimuli to examine the emotion-specific effects of losartan.

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Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Central Contacts