About this trial
The goal of this observational study is to investigate how brains of healthy controls respond when they interact with their romantic partner compared to when they interact with a stranger. The main goals are:
* Explore how two people's brains interact with each other by recording brain activity at the same time (a method called "hyperscanning") using electroencephalography (EEG). Using hyperscanning, this study will compare brain-to-brain communication in romantic couples versus strangers, both when they are together in person and when they are interacting remotely. * Test a computational model that will help explain how this brain-to-brain communication works, using real data from the brain activity EEG recordings. * Explore whether factors such as age, gender, how aware people are of their own body sensations, and their level of attachment influence brain-to-brain communication.
Researchers will compare brain-to-brain communication in romantic couples versus strangers, both when they are together in person and when they are interacting remotely to see which factors effect brain-to-brain communication.
Enrolled participants will:
* Complete a consent visit with their romantic partner where they will sign a consent form and have their pain sensitivity assessed. * Fill out sets of questionnaires assessing their romantic relationship, their personality, and other traits. * Complete two EEG scans, one with their romantic partner and one with a stranger. At both scans they will conduct a pain task, a communication task, and a light stimulation task.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Healthy volunteers in a romantic partnership for at least 6 months.
20-60 years of age
Ability to fully understand and consent to study procedures.
Fluent in English
Disqualifiers
Presence of any contraindications to EEG scanning.
Illicit drug or opioid use.
Epilepsy, seizures provoked by lights or a prior history of seizures.
Presence of any illness that is judged to interfere with the trial. For example: severe psychiatric disorders according to the DSM-IV manual.
Trial population
Twenty healthy control romantic pair dyads will be recruited for this study, for a total of 40 participants. Male and female participants, aged 20-60, will be recruited.
Trial design
Case-control
Prospective
Treatments tested in this trial
Not listed
Trial groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Inter-Brain Connectivity (IBC)
Brain to brain connectivity (or IBC) estimated on EEG-hyperscan data acquired simultaneously from two people (either romantic partners or strangers). The investigators hypothesize that IBC (density of connections): * will be modulated by the level of attachment (factor 1) regardless of subjects proximity (same room versus separate rooms, factor 2). * will be stronger during communication task and empathy for pain compared to resting state. * will be affected by demographical factors including age, sex, and race.
Secondary outcomes
Heart-beat Evoked Potentials (HEP) during Interoception Task
The ability to process internal-body sensations (interoception awareness) can be assessed by brain-heart interaction measures such as the brain potential generated in the brain after each heartbeat (HEP). The investigators hypothesize that different levels of interoception awareness measured by validated questionnaires (MAIA): * will modulate HEP during interoception task * will correlate with measures of inter-brain connectivty.
Other outcomes
Autonomic concordance.
Autonomic concordance between two subjects will be assessed during face-to-face hyperscanning experiments. Expected Research Outcomes: * Identify increased autonomic concordance during the communication task compared to resting state. * Identify a significant effect of the factors age, sex, level of attachment.
Sponsors and contacts
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Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Lead sponsor
Université de Montréal
Collaborator
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Collaborator
Emerald Gate Charitable Trust
Collaborator