Oxytocin Pathways and the Health Effects of Human-Animal Interaction

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study investigates the roles of oxytocin and vasopressin in human-animal interaction. Children will participate in three conditions involving friendly interactions with dogs, or play with toys at a university laboratory.

Detailed Description
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Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are neuropeptides that play critical roles in social behavior, cognition, stress physiology, and physical health. OT is released in adult humans and dogs during affiliative forms of human-animal interaction (HAI), and HAI attenuates AVP release in dogs. Thus, HAI may provide a safe and effective approach for stimulating endogenous OT release, and inhibiting endogenous AVP activity. The investigators will recruit a sample of typically developing 8-10 year old children who will engage in structured HAI sessions with a familiar companion dog or unfamiliar dog, compared to a nonsocial control condition.

Official Title
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Oxytocin Pathways and the Health Effects of Human-Animal Interaction

Conditions
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HAI

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Pet dog
* Behavioral: Unfamiliar dog
* Behavioral: Nonsocial control


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Participants in this study will include typically-developing children between 8-10 years. Enrollment will be limited to individuals who self-identify as white and not Hispanic or Latino for reasons related to the epigenetic analyses Exclusion Criteria: known medical diseases or injuries involving the central nervous or endocrine systems, major physical abnormalities, seizures, and significant sensory, cognitive, or motor impairments

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 8 Years
Maximum Age: 10 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Within-subjects, 3 conditions, order counterbalanced across participants
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Behavioral: Pet dog|Children will interact freely with their pet dog for 25 minutes.|
|Behavioral: Unfamiliar dog|Children will interact freely with an unfamiliar dog for 25 minutes|
|Behavioral: Nonsocial control|Children will play with age-appropriate toys/games for 25 minutes.|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Concentration of salivary oxytocin (pg/mL) | Concentration of salivary oxytocin measured by immunoassay (pg/mL) | 15 minutes | 
| Concentration of salivary vasopressin (pg/mL) | Concentration of salivary vasopressin measured by immunoassay (pg/mL) | 15 minutes | 
| Concentration of urinary oxytocin (pg/mL) | Concentration of urinary oxytocin measured by immunoassay (pg/mL) | 50 minutes | 
| Concentration of urinary vasopressin (pg/mL) | Concentration of urinary vasopressin measured by immunoassay (pg/mL) | 50 minutes | 
| Concentration of salivary cortisol (ug/dL) | Concentration of salivary cortisol measured by immunoassay (ug/dL) | 50 minutes | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Principal component score reflecting positive affect | Principal component score from frequency and duration of positive affect indicators (smiling, laughing) coded by ethogram. Frequency and duration of smiling and laughing will be combined to report positive affect in an aggregate principal component score. | 30 minutes | 
| Principal component score reflecting affiliative social behavior | Principal component score from frequency and duration of affiliative behaviors (physical contact, eye gaze, dog-directed speech) coded by ethogram. Frequency and duration of physical contact, eye gaze, and dog-directed speech will be combined to report affiliative behavior in an aggregate principal component score. | 30 minutes | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Oxytocin, Vasopressin, Cortisol, Human-animal interaction