Oxytocin and Social Behavior Over the Lifespan

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study will investigate if intranasal oxytocin (a hormone naturally produced in the body) promotes motivation for, and engagement in, social activities in older adults.

Detailed Description
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Using a double-blind and placebo controlled design, this study seeks to determine if a short course of exogenous oxytocin (OT) will induce changes in social activities in residentially housed older adults (OAs) during a 10-day treatment period, and after it ends. Because OT is associated with peri-reproductive behaviors, OT release in OAs is expected to be attenuated relative to younger adults. If OT release is low in OAs as we hypothesize, augmenting OT may increase their desire for social interactions, increase the frequency of participation in social activities and augment the number of and quality of social ties, thereby providing protection against disease, early death, cognitive decline, and depression. Research in rodents suggests that social interactions themselves may change chronic OT levels (Carter & Keverne, 2002; Carter & Altemus, 1997), in a positive feedback loop. In order to demonstrate OT as the causal mechanism, we propose to infuse oxytocin and then track the desire for, quantity of, and quality of social activities.

Official Title
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Oxytocin and Social Behavior Over the Lifespan: Interventional Study

Conditions
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Social Activity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Drug: oxytocin (Pitocin)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: residentially housed English fluency Exclusion Criteria: non ambulatory severe psychiatric problems presently or in the recent past severe medical problems (e.g., cancer, diabetes, advanced heart disease) irregular heart beat treatment using psychoactive medications (other than antiepileptics, mood stabilizers, or Ambien) inability to adequately communicate with the research team treatment with an experimental drug excessive fatigue suggesting hypothyroidism

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 50 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
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: oxytocin<br> | Drug: oxytocin (Pitocin)<br>* 40 IU OT intranasally (IN) once-daily for 10 consecutive days<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| confirm increased social activities in treatment condition compared to control condition via self-report. |  | 30 days | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Evidence of greater psychological health for treatment condition as compared to control condition. |  | 30 days | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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social isolation, cooperative behavior, depression, loneliness, happiness, empathy