PTSDPhase 2NCT03238924
Prolonged Exposure and Oxytocin
A Phase 2 study testing Oxytocin in people with PTSD, run by Medical University of South Carolina.
Trial summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating anxiety disorder that may develop after direct or indirect exposure to traumatic events. Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy modality with a wealth of empirical support demonstrating its efficacy to treat PTSD in a variety of… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 75 years
- Conditions the study is for
- PTSD
- What is being tested?
- Oxytocin
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 17 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2015to 31 Dec 2016
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 75 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Male or female; any race or ethnicity; age 18-75 years.
- Able to provide informed consent and function at an intellectual level sufficient to allow accurate completion of the assessment instruments.
- Participants must be able to comprehend English.
- Meet DSM-5 criteria for current PTSD (assessed via the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale; CAPS).
- A CAPS score of 50 or greater.
- Participants may also meet criteria for a mood disorder (except bipolar affective disorder, see Exclusion Criteria) or anxiety disorders (e.g., agoraphobia, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder). The inclusion of participants with affective and anxiety disorders is essential because of the marked frequency of the co-existence of mood and other anxiety disorders among patients with PTSD.
- Participants taking psychotropic medications will be required to be maintained on a stable dose for at least eight weeks before study initiation. Initiation or change of psychotropic medications during the course of the trial may interfere with interpretation of results.
Who cannot join
- Participants meeting DSM-5 criteria for a history of or current psychotic or bipolar affective disorders, or with current suicidal or homicidal ideation and intent. Those participants will be referred clinically.
- Participants who would present a serious suicide risk or who are likely to require hospitalization during the course of the study. Those participants will be referred clinically.
- Participants on maintenance anxiolytic, antidepressant, or mood stabilizing medications, which have been initiated during the past 8 weeks.
- Participants meeting DSM-5 criteria for a substance use disorder, except caffeine or nicotine, within the past 12 months.
- Pregnant women will be excluded from the proposed study.
About this study
Official title: Augmenting Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD With Intranasal Oxytocin
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating anxiety disorder that may develop after direct or indirect exposure to traumatic events. Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy modality with a wealth of empirical support demonstrating its efficacy to treat PTSD in a variety of populations. The neuropeptide oxytocin is a promising new pharmacotherapeutic agent with prominent anxiolytic effects . Despite a strong biological and theoretical rationale for investigating the potential effectiveness of augmenting PE with intranasal oxytocin, no studies to date have done so. The current study aims to address this important gap in the literature by examining changes in PTSD symptoms following PE treatment combined with a) 40 IU of intranasal oxytocin or b) placebo.
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
OxytocinDrug
Also called Pitocin
40 IU oxytocin nasal spray, self-administered
PlacebosDrug
Saline nasal spray, self-administered
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Oxytocin | Experimental | 40 IU intranasal oxytocin spray Receives: Drug: Oxytocin |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Placebo is matching saline nasal spray Receives: Drug: Placebos |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
PTSD Symptom Severity
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5). CAPS-5 scores range from 0-120. Items are summed to obtain a total score with higher scores reflective of greater symptom severity.
Measured: Change from Baseline to end of treatment (10 weeks)
Secondary outcomes (2)
PTSD Symptom Severity
PTSD Checklist (PCL). The PCL is a self-report measure which uses a 5-point scale to assess the frequency and severity of PTSD symptoms. Item responses are summed to obtain a total score ranging from 17-85 with greater scores reflective of greater symptom severity.
Measured: Change from Baseline to end of treatment (10 weeks)
Depression Symptom Severity
Beck Depression Inventory-II. The BDI-II is a self-report measure where each item is rated on a 0-3 scale and summed to obtain a total score. Greater scores are reflective of greater symptom severity.
Measured: Change from Baseline to end of treatment (10 weeks)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Aug 2017
- Study start1 Jan 2015
- Primary completion31 Dec 2016
- Study completion31 Dec 2016
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for PTSDStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 17 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Julianne Flanagan, Medical University of South Carolina
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03238924
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 36616
- Status last verified
- Apr 2018
- First submitted
- 3 Apr 2017
- Last updated
- 25 May 2018
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Flanagan JC, Sippel LM, Wahlquist A, Moran-Santa Maria MM, Back SE. Augmenting Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD with intranasal oxytocin: A randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial. J Psychiatr Res. 2018 Mar;98:64-69. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.12.014. Epub 2017 Dec 26.
PubMed 29294429
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 May 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Augmenting Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD With Intranasal Oxytocin
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03238924
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 36616
- Conditions
- PTSD
- Keywords
- posttraumatic stress disorder, oxytocin, Prolonged Exposure
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 17 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Medical University of South CarolinaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2016 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Aug 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 25 May 2018
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating anxiety disorder that may develop after direct or indirect exposure to traumatic events. Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy modality with a wealth of empirical support demonstrating its efficacy to treat PTSD in a variety of populations. The neuropeptide oxytocin is a promising new pharmacotherapeutic agent with prominent anxiolytic effects . Despite a strong biological and theoretical rationale for investigating the potential effectiveness of augmenting PE with intranasal oxytocin, no studies to date have done so. The current study aims to address this important gap in the literature by examining changes in PTSD symptoms following PE treatment combined with a) 40 IU of intranasal oxytocin or b) placebo.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Oxytocin | Experimental | Drug: Oxytocin40 IU intranasal oxytocin spray |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Drug: PlacebosPlacebo is matching saline nasal spray |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Male or female; any race or ethnicity; age 18-75 years.
- Able to provide informed consent and function at an intellectual level sufficient to allow accurate completion of the assessment instruments.
- Participants must be able to comprehend English.
- Meet DSM-5 criteria for current PTSD (assessed via the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale; CAPS).
- A CAPS score of 50 or greater.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Participants meeting DSM-5 criteria for a history of or current psychotic or bipolar affective disorders, or with current suicidal or homicidal ideation and intent. Those participants will be referred clinically.
- Participants who would present a serious suicide risk or who are likely to require hospitalization during the course of the study. Those participants will be referred clinically.
- Participants on maintenance anxiolytic, antidepressant, or mood stabilizing medications, which have been initiated during the past 8 weeks.
- Participants meeting DSM-5 criteria for a substance use disorder, except caffeine or nicotine, within the past 12 months.
- Pregnant women will be excluded from the proposed study.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| OxytocinAlso: Pitocin40 IU oxytocin nasal spray, self-administered | Drug | Oxytocin |
| PlacebosSaline nasal spray, self-administered | Drug | Placebo |
Primary outcome
PTSD Symptom Severity
Time frame: Change from Baseline to end of treatment (10 weeks)
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5). CAPS-5 scores range from 0-120. Items are summed to obtain a total score with higher scores reflective of greater symptom severity.
2 secondary outcomes
PTSD Symptom Severity
Time frame: Change from Baseline to end of treatment (10 weeks)
Depression Symptom Severity
Time frame: Change from Baseline to end of treatment (10 weeks)
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 May 2018.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 29294429Flanagan JC, Sippel LM, Wahlquist A, Moran-Santa Maria MM, Back SE. Augmenting Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD with intranasal oxytocin: A randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial. J Psychiatr Res. 2018 Mar;98:64-69. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.12.014. Epub 2017 Dec 26.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Oxytocin in people with PTSD, run by Medical University of South Carolina.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 May 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 25 May 2018). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
PTSD Symptom Severity (time frame: Change from Baseline to end of treatment (10 weeks)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03238924, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 May 2018; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 28 Oct 2026.