Intranasal Oxytocin in Antiosocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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A pharmacoimaging study of oxytcoin in antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy

Detailed Description
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Using a double-blinded, placebo controlled design, we explored similarities and differences in i) an important component of empathic processing (neural response to facial emotional expressions) and ii) decision-making in violent men with ASPD+/-Psychopathy, compared to healthy non-offenders (NO; n= 21 across studies), with placebo and after acute application of intranasal oxytocin, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).

Official Title
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Investigating the Effect of Oxytocin and the Neurochemistry of Antisocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy Using Neuroimaging

Conditions
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Antisocial Personality Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Drug: Oxytocin nasal spray
* Other: Placebo spray


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Male Aged 18-60 IQ greater than 70 as defined by the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II). Violent offenders: Offenders with convictions for violent crimes (murder, rape, attempted murder, grievous and actual bodily harm) who met DSM-5 criteria for antisocial personality disorder (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders (SCID-5 PD) Psychopathy or non-psychopathy subgroup based on Psychopathy Checklist- Revised (PCL-R; (Hare, 2003))- score of 25 as the threshold for psychopathy in this English population. Healthy non-offenders: Non-offenders with no personality disorder Exclusion criteria: history of major mental disorders (bipolar 1, bipolar 2, major depression or psychotic disorders) self-reported neurological disorders head injury resulting in loss of consciousness for 1 hour or longer severe visual or hearing impairments contraindications to MRI

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 60 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Male

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: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Double-binded placebo-controlled crossover trial
Masking: Triple


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: Violent offenders with psychopathy<br>Violent offenders with psychopathy | Drug: Oxytocin nasal spray<br>* Intranasal spray containing 40 IU of oxytocin<br>Other: Placebo spray<br>* Application of inert placebo, identical in odor, color, and droplet size except for absence of oxytocin<br>|
| Other: Violent offenders without psychopathy<br>Violent offenders without psychopathy | Drug: Oxytocin nasal spray<br>* Intranasal spray containing 40 IU of oxytocin<br>Other: Placebo spray<br>* Application of inert placebo, identical in odor, color, and droplet size except for absence of oxytocin<br>|
| Other: Healthy non-offenders<br>Healthy non-offenders | Drug: Oxytocin nasal spray<br>* Intranasal spray containing 40 IU of oxytocin<br>Other: Placebo spray<br>* Application of inert placebo, identical in odor, color, and droplet size except for absence of oxytocin<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Within-group effect of oxytocin on nerual modulation of fear | Differences in responsivity to morphed faces on FMRI in oxytocin vs fear condition- clusterwise analysis using AFNI (effect size is beta values) | 10 minutes | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Baseline neural modulation of morphed fearful faces | Response to morphred faces on FMRI in placebo condition- clusterwise analysis using AFNI (effect size is beta values) | 10 minutes | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Oxytocin; Psychopathy; Violent Offenders; Social Processing