Julianne C Flanagan1, Paul J Nietert2, Lauren Sippel3, Amber M Jarnecke4, Charli Kirby4, Jasara N Hogan4, Andrea A Massa5, Jessica Brower4, Sudie E Back5, Dominic Parrott6. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA. Electronic address: Hellmuth@musc.edu. 2. Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. 3. VA Northeast Program Evaluation Center, West Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA; National Center for PTSD Evaluation Division, West Haven, CT, USA. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. 5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA. 6. Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: While alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a well-established risk factor for intimate partner aggression (IPA), effective treatments for co-occurring AUD and IPA (AUD/IPA) are lacking. Oxytocin is one promising pharmacological candidate for AUD/IPA given its potential to modulate social behavior and attenuate alcohol use. However, emerging data suggests that oxytocin's prosocial effects are inconsistent, and a small number of studies have also found that oxytocin might have the potential to be aggressogenic. No studies have directly examined the impact of oxytocin on alcohol- or IPA-related outcomes in a dyadic context. METHODS: The goal of this double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial was to examine the effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin (40 international units) on cue-induced alcohol craving, subjective aggression, laboratory task-based IPA, and cortisol reactivity in a sample of 100 couples (N = 200 individuals) with AUD and physical IPA in their current relationship. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the oxytocin and placebo conditions for any of the primary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that a single dose of intranasal oxytocin was not efficacious in mitigating alcohol craving or aggression in this sample. Although hypotheses were not supported, the findings provide important evidence that oxytocin was not aggressogenic in this high-risk sample. Future research investigating dispositional and contextual moderators of oxytocin response in addition to the therapeutic effects of more intensive oxytocin dosing or administration strategies on alcohol craving and aggression is warranted.
BACKGROUND: While alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a well-established risk factor for intimate partner aggression (IPA), effective treatments for co-occurring AUD and IPA (AUD/IPA) are lacking. Oxytocin is one promising pharmacological candidate for AUD/IPA given its potential to modulate social behavior and attenuate alcohol use. However, emerging data suggests that oxytocin's prosocial effects are inconsistent, and a small number of studies have also found that oxytocin might have the potential to be aggressogenic. No studies have directly examined the impact of oxytocin on alcohol- or IPA-related outcomes in a dyadic context. METHODS: The goal of this double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial was to examine the effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin (40 international units) on cue-induced alcohol craving, subjective aggression, laboratory task-based IPA, and cortisol reactivity in a sample of 100 couples (N = 200 individuals) with AUD and physical IPA in their current relationship. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the oxytocin and placebo conditions for any of the primary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that a single dose of intranasal oxytocin was not efficacious in mitigating alcohol craving or aggression in this sample. Although hypotheses were not supported, the findings provide important evidence that oxytocin was not aggressogenic in this high-risk sample. Future research investigating dispositional and contextual moderators of oxytocin response in addition to the therapeutic effects of more intensive oxytocin dosing or administration strategies on alcohol craving and aggression is warranted.
Authors: Youri R Berends; Joke H M Tulen; André I Wierdsma; Johannes van Pelt; Ruth Feldman; Orna Zagoory-Sharon; Yolanda B de Rijke; Steven A Kushner; Hjalmar J C van Marle Journal: Psychoneuroendocrinology Date: 2019-04-04 Impact factor: 4.905