The primary aim of this study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin can modulate the real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) neurofeedback training effects by facilitating the use of an interoceptive strategy.
Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders.
History of brain injury medical or mental illness.
Contraindication to MRI scanning (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia or other --conditions that make them inappropriate for MRI scanning).
Parallel
Intranasal oxytocin
DrugEach subject will be assigned to intranasally administered 24-IU of oxytocin.
Intranasal placebo
DrugEach subject will be assigned to intranasally administered 24-IU of placebo.
Neural activity of the anterior insula based on blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal
The anterior insula activity induced during the regulation block compared to the baseline block.
Pain empathy rating scores
Subjects are required to rate their empathic feelings towards painful pictures on a Likert Scale ranging from 1-9 (1 = not at all and 9 = very painful) after each regulation/baseline block.
Confidence rating scores of interoceptive sensitivity
Subjects are asked to rate to what extent they can feel their heartbeat using a Likert Scale ranging from 1-9 (1 = very low and 9 = very high).
Interoceptive accuracy
1/N Σ(1-(\|actual heartbeats--reported heartbeats\|) / actual heartbeats). N indicates the number of recording blocks.
Functional connectivity of the anterior insula
Differences of functional connectivity of the anterior insula during neurofeedback training
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