Oxytocin Administration and Emotion Recognition Abilities in Adults Reporting Adverse Childhood Experiences

Ruhr University of Bochum

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Drug: Oxytocin; Other: Placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03335085

KU 2479/3-1

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates whether intranasal administration of a single dose of oxytocin improves the ability to recognize emotional states. In a cross-over design, half of the participants first received oxytocin, the other half first received placebo.

Full description

Adverse childhood experience such as neglect or abuse can lead to long-term deficits in emotion processing abilities, and these effects might be mediated via alterations in oxytocin production or sensitivity. The goal of this study was to test whether emotion recognition abilities and empathy might be improved by intranasal oxytocin administration in adults with a history of childhood maltreatment.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment with a crossover design, we assessed the performance of 40 healthy participants with a history of childhood adversity on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and an emotion recognition task under 24 IU oxytocin vs. placebo and compared them to a control group of 40 matched individuals without traumatic childhood experiences.

Enrollment: 80 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• presence of moderate to severe experiences of childhood adversity (early adversity group)

Exclusion criteria

• Acute psychiatric disorders and personality disorders or psychiatric disorders within the last 12 months
• Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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80 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Oxytocin

Active Comparator group

Description:

Single dose of intranasally administered 24 IU of Oxytocin (Syntocinon-Spray Novartis, Switzerland)

Treatment:

Drug: Oxytocin

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

All ingredients except for oxytocin.

Treatment:

Other: Placebo