| Popis: |
The patient-physician relationship is a critical determinant for patient health outcomes. Verbal and non-verbal communication, such as eye gaze, are vital aspects of this bond. Neurobiological studies indicate that oxytocin may serve as a link between increased eye gaze and social bonding. Therefore, oxytocin signaling could serve as a key factor influencing eye gaze as well as the patient-physician relationship. We aimed to test the effects of oxytocin on gaze to the eyes of the physician and the patient-physician relationship by conducting a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial in healthy volunteers with intranasally administered oxytocin (24IU, number 2018-004081-34). Eye gaze of sixty-eight male volunteers was studied using eye-tracking. Volunteers engaged in a simulated video call consultation with a physician who provided information about vaccination against the human papilloma virus. Relationship outcomes, including trust, satisfaction and perceived physician communication style, were measured using questionnaires and corrected for possible confounders (social anxiety and attachment orientation). Additional secondary outcome measures were recall of information and pupil diameter and exploratory outcomes were mood and anxiety. Oxytocin did not affect eye tracking parameters of volunteers’ gaze towards the eyes of the physician. Moreover, oxytocin did not affect parameters of bonding between volunteers and the physician, nor other secondary and exploratory outcomes. Bayesian hypothesis testing provided evidence for the absence of effects. These results contradict the notion that oxytocin affects eye gaze patterns or bonding. |
