Psychology, SocialNCT01672723
Neuropharmacological Basis of Social Connection: The Role of Opioids
A study testing Naltrexone in people with Psychology, Social, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
From birth we rely on others for comfort and care and derive pleasure from being together. Research from the fields of health psychology, social psychology, and public health converge to highlight the importance of having and maintaining good relationships for overall health. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 35 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Psychology, Social
- What is being tested?
- Naltrexone
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 34 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Oct 2012to Feb 2014
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 35 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Inclusion criteria for the study require that participants be in good health, between the ages of 18 and 35, fluent in English, have access to text messaging technology, and have at least 8 close friends and family members who would be willing to be contacted in regards to the study (for the social connection lab task) and be willing to provide 2 pictures of a close other (for the threat of shock task).
Who cannot join
- Following an email screening and structured telephone interview, prospective participants with the following conditions will not advance to the in- person screening session: pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next 6 months, presence of chronic mental or physical illness, history of allergies, liver, or other severe chronic diseases, current and regular use of prescription medications, or previous history of fainting during blood draws.
- Furthermore, the absence of significant health problems or medication use history will be confirmed by an in-person screening session. Any participant who has any of the following conditions will be ineligible for the study: (1) Any and all medical conditions, especially hepatitis or liver failure.
- Psychiatric Disorders. (2) current and/or lifetime history of a major Depressive Disorder or other Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Diploma in Social Medicine (DSM-IV) psychiatric disorder (e.g. substance dependence) (3) current and/or past regular use of analgesics such as opioids; (4) current and/or past regular use of psychotropic medications, including selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors, antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics, sedatives and barbiturates. Health factors. (5) current smokers (13) body mass index (BMI) greater than 35, (14) shows evidence of drug use from a urine test, (15) has a positive pregnancy test, if female, or (16) shows any abnormalities on screening laboratory tests.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of California, Los Angeles Department of Psychology
Los Angeles, California, 90095-1563
About this study
From birth we rely on others for comfort and care and derive pleasure from being together. Research from the fields of health psychology, social psychology, and public health converge to highlight the importance of having and maintaining good relationships for overall health. Indeed, having close friends and family and feeling connected to them has been called a basic need, similar to our need for food and water. It may not be a coincidence then that feelings of connection rely on similar systems in the body as other needs that are both basic and highly pleasing and rewarding. For instance, its possible that opioids, a substance in the body associated with pleasant, euphoric feelings, may also be important for connecting with others. This study will examine the role of opioids in feeling connected to others by administering a drug called naltrexone, that effects opioid processing in the body, on perceptions and feelings toward a number of tasks in the lab. Additionally, to assess the effects of naltrexone outside of the lab, participants will complete daily diary responses via text and online surveys.
40 participants will take both placebo and naltrexone. Participants will complete two sessions, one in each drug condition, in which they complete a number of tasks including reading messages on a computer screen, holding a number of objects, and viewing images while undergoing electric shocks. Participants will also complete a daily diary for 14 days while on naltrexone and placebo. Prior to these lab sessions participants will be screened at UCLA's Clinical \& Translational Research Center (CTRC) to ensure that they are healthy and that it is safe for them to take the study drug.
We hypothesize that people will report feeling less socially connected when on naltrexone compared to placebo and will show subsequent changes in social behavior outside of the lab.
- Conditions
- Psychology, Social
- Being tested
- Naltrexone
- Keywords
- opioids, social connection
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
NaltrexoneDrug
Also called Depade, ReVia
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Naltrexone | Experimental | Participants will take 4 doses of naltrexone over 4 days (25mg/day for days 1 and 2, 50mg/day for days 3 and 4) as well as 4 matched placebo pills for a total of 8 days. Capsules will be packaged into blister packs.
Participants will be asked to take the first drug, either naltrexone or placebo, once a day for three days prior to the first experimental session and when they arrive at the lab for the experimental procedure . After the first session, participants will take the second study drug for three days prior to the second experimental session and when they arrive for the second experimental procedure. Receives: Drug: Naltrexone |
| Placebi | Placebo comparator | Participants will take 4 doses of naltrexone over 4 days (25mg/day for days 1 and 2, 50mg/day for days 3 and 4) as well as 4 matched placebo pills for a total of 8 days. Capsules will be packaged into blister packs.
Participants will be asked to take the first drug, either naltrexone or placebo, once a day for three days prior to the first experimental session and when they arrive at the lab for the experimental procedure . After the first session, participants will take the second study drug for three days prior to the second experimental session and when they arrive for the second experimental procedure. Receives: Drug: Naltrexone |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes in Self-reported Feelings of Connection During Naltrexone (vs. Placebo)
Participants will read positive, loving messages from friends and family members and then rate their feelings of connection (how connected, touched, and warm they felt, α = .93, averaged to create a measure of feelings of social connection). Ratings were made on a 1-7 scale anchored by "not at all" and "very." Higher numbers indicate greater feelings of connection in response to reading the loving messages.
Measured: participants will report on their feelings of connection during two separate lab visits, on day 4 of each drug assignment
Secondary outcomes (1)
Daily Self-reported Feelings of Social Connection
For 8 days (4 while on placebo, 4 while on naltrexone), participants were asked to think back to the last 24 hours and respond to how disconnected they felt ("I felt out of touch and disconnected from others"). Ratings were made on a 1-7 scale anchored by 'strongly disagree' and 'strongly agree.' For ease of interpretation, feelings of disconnection were reverse-coded to measure daily feelings of social connection. Thus higher numbers indicate greater feelings of connection. Responses were averaged across the 4 days that participants were on each study drug (4 while on placebo, 4 while on naltrexone).
Measured: end of day for 8 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Aug 2012 (estimated)
- Study startOct 2012
- Primary completionFeb 2014
- Study completionFeb 2014
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Psychology, SocialStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, Los AngelesThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 34 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Naomi Eisenberger, University of California, Los Angeles
- Investigators
- Naomi I Eisenberger, PhD, Principal investigator, University of California, Los Angeles
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01672723
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Opioids and Social Cognition
- Status last verified
- Dec 2015
- First submitted
- 20 Aug 2012
- Last updated
- 14 Jan 2016
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Jan 2016. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neuropharmacological Basis of Social Connection: The Role of Opioids
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01672723
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Opioids and Social Cognition
- Conditions
- Psychology, Social
- Keywords
- opioids, social connection
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 34 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los AngelesUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Oct 2012
- Primary completion
- Feb 2014 (actual)
- Study completion
- Feb 2014 (actual)
- First posted
- 27 Aug 2012 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 14 Jan 2016
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
From birth we rely on others for comfort and care and derive pleasure from being together. Research from the fields of health psychology, social psychology, and public health converge to highlight the importance of having and maintaining good relationships for overall health. Indeed, having close friends and family and feeling connected to them has been called a basic need, similar to our need for food and water. It may not be a coincidence then that feelings of connection rely on similar systems in the body as other needs that are both basic and highly pleasing and rewarding. For instance, its possible that opioids, a substance in the body associated with pleasant, euphoric feelings, may also be important for connecting with others. This study will examine the role of opioids in feeling connected to others by administering a drug called naltrexone, that effects opioid processing in the body, on perceptions and feelings toward a number of tasks in the lab. Additionally, to assess the effects of naltrexone outside of the lab, participants will complete daily diary responses via text and online surveys.
40 participants will take both placebo and naltrexone. Participants will complete two sessions, one in each drug condition, in which they complete a number of tasks including reading messages on a computer screen, holding a number of objects, and viewing images while undergoing electric shocks. Participants will also complete a daily diary for 14 days while on naltrexone and placebo. Prior to these lab sessions participants will be screened at UCLA's Clinical \& Translational Research Center (CTRC) to ensure that they are healthy and that it is safe for them to take the study drug.
We hypothesize that people will report feeling less socially connected when on naltrexone compared to placebo and will show subsequent changes in social behavior outside of the lab.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Naltrexone | Experimental | Drug: NaltrexoneParticipants will take 4 doses of naltrexone over 4 days (25mg/day for days 1 and 2, 50mg/day for days 3 and 4) as well as 4 matched placebo pills for a total of 8 days. Capsules will be packaged into blister packs. Participants will be asked to take the first drug, either naltrexone or placebo, once a day for three days prior to the first experimental session and when they arrive at the lab for the experimental procedure . After the first session, participants will take the second study drug for three days prior to the second experimental session and when they arrive for the second experimental procedure. |
| Placebi | Placebo comparator | Drug: NaltrexoneParticipants will take 4 doses of naltrexone over 4 days (25mg/day for days 1 and 2, 50mg/day for days 3 and 4) as well as 4 matched placebo pills for a total of 8 days. Capsules will be packaged into blister packs. Participants will be asked to take the first drug, either naltrexone or placebo, once a day for three days prior to the first experimental session and when they arrive at the lab for the experimental procedure . After the first session, participants will take the second study drug for three days prior to the second experimental session and when they arrive for the second experimental procedure. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 35 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Inclusion criteria for the study require that participants be in good health, between the ages of 18 and 35, fluent in English, have access to text messaging technology, and have at least 8 close friends and family members who would be willing to be contacted in regards to the study (for the social connection lab task) and be willing to provide 2 pictures of a close other (for the threat of shock task).
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Following an email screening and structured telephone interview, prospective participants with the following conditions will not advance to the in- person screening session: pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next 6 months, presence of chronic mental or physical illness, history of allergies, liver, or other severe chronic diseases, current and regular use of prescription medications, or previous history of fainting during blood draws.
- Furthermore, the absence of significant health problems or medication use history will be confirmed by an in-person screening session. Any participant who has any of the following conditions will be ineligible for the study: (1) Any and all medical conditions, especially hepatitis or liver failure.
- Psychiatric Disorders. (2) current and/or lifetime history of a major Depressive Disorder or other Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Diploma in Social Medicine (DSM-IV) psychiatric disorder (e.g. substance dependence) (3) current and/or past regular use of analgesics such as opioids; (4) current and/or past regular use of psychotropic medications, including selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors, antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics, sedatives and barbiturates. Health factors. (5) current smokers (13) body mass index (BMI) greater than 35, (14) shows evidence of drug use from a urine test, (15) has a positive pregnancy test, if female, or (16) shows any abnormalities on screening laboratory tests.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| NaltrexoneAlso: Depade, ReVia | Drug | Naltrexone, Placebi |
Primary outcome
Changes in Self-reported Feelings of Connection During Naltrexone (vs. Placebo)
Time frame: participants will report on their feelings of connection during two separate lab visits, on day 4 of each drug assignment
Participants will read positive, loving messages from friends and family members and then rate their feelings of connection (how connected, touched, and warm they felt, α = .93, averaged to create a measure of feelings of social connection). Ratings were made on a 1-7 scale anchored by "not at all" and "very." Higher numbers indicate greater feelings of connection in response to reading the loving messages.
1 secondary outcome
Daily Self-reported Feelings of Social Connection
Time frame: end of day for 8 days
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Jan 2016.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Naomi I Eisenberger, PhD principal investigator
University of California, Los Angeles
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Naltrexone in people with Psychology, Social, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jan 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 14 Jan 2016). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Changes in Self-reported Feelings of Connection During Naltrexone (vs. Placebo) (time frame: participants will report on their feelings of connection during two separate lab visits, on day 4 of each drug assignment). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Jan 2016.