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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03335085

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

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Oxytocin

Drug

Other names: Syntocinon

Placebo

Other

Primary outcomes

  1. Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test

    Time frame: 45 minutes post-dose

    Requires participants to infer complex mental states fromthe eye region

  2. Gradual Emotion Recognition Test

    Time frame: 50 minutes post-dose

    Requires participants to swiftly and accurately detect basic emotions form naturalistic, animated stimuli.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Ruhr University of Bochum

Other

Collaborators

  • German Research Foundation

Registry information

Official study title

Long-term Consequences of Childhood Adversity: Exploring Stress Responsive Molecular Pathways and Psychobiological Intervention Models

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Nov 7, 2017
Registry last updated
Nov 7, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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