NCT02546570

Oxytocin and Affect Processing in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Affective Functioning: A Test of the Potentially Normalizing Effects of Oxytocin

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 11 (actual)
• Sponsor: Yale University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 55 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The investigators will use multiple methods (including Oxytocin intranasal inhalation, neuroimaging, behavioral measures, peripheral hormone measurements) to examine how individuals' behavior, cognition, and brain function is impacted by the neuro-hormone Oxytocin. Specifically, the investigators plan to evaluate the influence of Oxytocin administration on affective processing in non-trauma exposed and trauma-exposed adults (both with and without posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD).

Detailed description

The investigators will use multiple methods (including Oxytocin intranasal inhalation, neuroimaging, behavioral measures, peripheral hormone measurements) to examine how individuals' behavior, cognition, and brain function is impacted by the neuro-hormone Oxytocin. Specifically, the investigators plan to evaluate the influence of Oxytocin administration on affective processing in non-trauma exposed and trauma-exposed adults (both with and without posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD). The investigators expect oxytocin (compared to placebo) to positively influence affect processing in healthy subjects, as well as among those diagnosed with PTSD. Given current literature, the investigators expect oxytocin to elevate the processing\\perception of positive-related stimuli, and reduce the salience of aversive or un-pleasant cues. The investigators expect oxytocin to impact participants' brain function as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while visually processing social and affect-related stimuli, rendering brain function and affective processing to be "more typical" or "adaptive" compared to placebo. Oxytocin's effect on human repertoire is not necessarily direct, but can interact with the individual's socioemotional characteristics, early life environment, and psychiatric symptoms. Therefore, the investigators will incorporate measures that capture the various dimensions that likely shape the effect of oxytocin.

Conditions

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Oxytocin	See arm/group descriptions for dosage amount and procedure.
DRUG	Placebo	See arm/group descriptions for dosage amount and procedure.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-08-01
• Primary completion: 2016-08-01
• Completion: 2016-08-01
• First posted: 2015-09-11
• Last updated: 2020-04-08
• Results posted: 2020-04-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States