Am i eligible for this study?

You may be eligible for this study if you are between 18 and 30 years old, relatively healthy, right-handed, and don’t have any non-removeable metal in your body. Take the online prescreening by pressing the button below, then a researcher will call you to assess full eligibility.

Do i get anything from participating in this study?

You can earn up to $150 for participation.

Are mri scans dangerous?

MRI scans are not dangerous and cause no side effects for those who have been approved to enter the scanner. We screen out anyone who might have an MRI safety risk, and our MRI technicians double-check participants’ safety before they enter the scanner.

What is the medication used in this study, and what is a placebo pill?

Participants will either receive a one-time, 40mg dose of an FDA-approved medication called propranolol, or a pill filled with sugar (placebo) that does nothing to the body. Propranolol acts as a beta-blocker, which means it blocks certain receptors (called beta-adrenergic receptors) in your body. Beta-blockers are very commonly used, typically prescribed for high blood pressure (called hypertension), but in this study, we are interested in how the beta-blocker will affect the receptors and other physiological measures when meeting someone new and forming first impressions. The pills will look exactly the same, and both the researcher and participant will not know which one the participant took until the very end of the session; however, a study doctor will know which condition you are assigned to monitor safety. This is so that we can compare how the brain and immune system react to the social task between the medication and placebo group, to learn about the chemical signaling pathway. 

What are my rights as a research participant?

All research studies that use human participants must receive approval from an Institutional Review Board of experts who review the study to make sure it is safe, ethical, and scientifically sound. This is to protect your rights and welfare. Researchers are required by law to explain the benefits and risks of participation in a way that is easy to understand. This is called informed consent, which participants will go through in the first session. Participants can also withdraw at any time for any reason without penalty. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you can contact the IRB at (919) 966-3113 or IRB_subjects@unc.edu.

Can i receive free medical treatment or health advice?

The blood samples, sensor recordings, and brain scans are not the same as tests you would receive as part of health care treatment. The data will not be reviewed by a doctor, and it will not appear on your medical record. Occasionally, the technologist or researcher may notice something abnormal in your data, in which case it will be reviewed by a qualified doctor to determine if there is anything of clinical importance. If something is found to be important, then you and/or your primary care provider will be notified. Any further follow up and costs associated with the incidental finding will be your responsibility.

What are the covid-19 precautions for this study?

The COVID-19 precautions for this study reflect the COVID-19 precautions of the university and the medical campus, meaning all staff must be fully vaccinated, and masks are optional. Even with a “mask-optional” protocol, there still are some exceptions that will be enforced:

• Patients who have symptoms of respiratory illnesses MUST wear a mask

• Staff must wear a mask when providing direct care to patients with respiratory symptoms.

• Masks may still be required for staff, patients, and visitors in certain high-risk areas and clinics, such as ICUs and transplant units.

• Patients who choose to wear a mask can ask their provider to wear one too.

Please note that although masks will not be required in most areas, masks are still encouraged and will still be available for use. UNC Health will respect any of our patients, visitors, and staff who choose to wear a mask.

What data will you collect?

We will collect data about your mood, demographics, health, emotions, relationships, history of stressful or traumatic experiences, sensitivity to bodily changes, brain biology, physiology, and immune system function.

Who will have access to my data?

Your identifiable data (e.g., name, email, phone number, MRN) will only be viewed by research personnel. Privacy and confidentiality will be maintained through the de-identification of all data (this means that we will remove any information that could identify data as belonging to you). Anonymized data may be stored in an open-access data repository where it will be stored indefinitely, and anyone (including individuals outside of our research team) will be able to download it for future research.

how will you use my data?

Data from all our participants will be analyzed to answer a variety of questions related to how the brain and body process social interactions. Anything we find may be published in academic journals and posted online. Any data we publish will not be linked to your personal information.

Who is sponsoring this study?

This research is funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH). The researchers do not have a direct financial interest with the sponsor or in the final results of the study. The researchers do not have any conflicts of interest regarding this study.