Dog Presence and Oxytocin on Trust Towards Therapists (DOT)

Dr. Karin Hediger

Status and phase: Enrolling; Phase 3; Phase 2

Conditions: Depressive Symptoms; Human-Animal Interaction

Treatments: Other: Animal-Assisted Intervention; Drug: Oxytocin nasal spray; Drug: Placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06248710

2023-00523

Details and patient eligibility

About

Oxytocin has been proposed as a neuroendocrine mechanism that may mediate the relationship between dog ownership and positive health outcomes and be linked to human-dog interactions and is thought to be a mechanism of interspecies bonding. While the role of oxytocin in human bonding behaviours and social behaviour, in general, is becoming well-established the role of oxytocin in human-animal interaction and Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) remains unclear. This research gap calls for more high-quality research investigating this possible neuroendocrine underlying mechanism to advance knowledge about AAI. If oxytocin indeed might be involved in interspecies bonding, intranasally administered oxytocin should not only enhance trust toward a human but also towards a dog.

Enrollment: 176 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Signed informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnancy
• Being scared of dogs or dog hair allergy by self-report
• Any acute or chronic disease (e.g., chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, renal disease, liver disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, skin pathologies etc.)
• Current medications (psychoactive medication, narcotics, intake of analgesics) or being currently in psychological or psychiatric treatment
• Drug consumption (THC, cocaine, heroin, etc.) within the past 24h before study appointment
• Ongoing psychotherapy treatment
• Sexual Intercourse within the past 24h before study appointment
• Current disease involving respiratory system (e.g., influence, asthma etc.)
• Insufficient German language skills to understand the instructions

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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176 participants in 4 patient groups, including a placebo group

Condition 1: Oxytocin + dog present

Experimental group

Treatment:

Drug: Oxytocin nasal spray

Other: Animal-Assisted Intervention

Condition 2: Oxytocin + no dog present

Experimental group

Treatment:

Drug: Oxytocin nasal spray

Condition 3: Placebo + dog present

Experimental group

Treatment:

Drug: Placebo

Other: Animal-Assisted Intervention

Condition 4: Placebo + no dog present

Placebo Comparator group

Treatment:

Drug: Placebo