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Human-Animal BondNCT03852264

Oxytocin Pathways and the Health Effects of Human-Animal Interaction

A study testing Pet dog and Unfamiliar dog in people with Human-Animal Bond and Human-Animal Interaction, run by University of Arizona at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study investigates the roles of oxytocin pathways in human-animal interaction. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 8 to 10 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Human-Animal Bond, Human-Animal Interaction
What is being tested?
Pet dog and Unfamiliar dog
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
55 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
8 Mar 2019to 10 Jan 2022
Phase
Interventional
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 8 to 10 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Participants in this study will include typically-developing children between 8-10 years who have lived with a companion dog in the household for at least 6 months.

Who cannot join

  • known medical diseases or injuries involving the central nervous or endocrine systems, major physical abnormalities, seizures, and significant sensory, cognitive, or motor impairments, current use of psychoactive medications

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Arizona

    Tucson, Arizona, 85721

Other trials in United States

About this study

This study investigates the roles of oxytocin pathways in human-animal interaction.

Read the detailed description

This study investigates the roles of oxytocin pathways in human-animal interaction. Children will participate in three conditions involving friendly interactions with dogs, or play with toys at a university laboratory. Child and dog saliva and urine will be assayed for oxytocin concentrations. We will assess variation in oxytocin concentrations in relation to different experimental conditions, and in relation to specific behaviors and psychological constructs.

Being tested
Pet dog, Unfamiliar dog, Nonsocial control
Keywords
Oxytocin, Cortisol, Human-animal interaction
Medical subject headings
Human-Animal Bond, Human-Animal Interaction

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Pet dogBehavioural

    Children will interact freely with their pet dog for 25 minutes.

  • Unfamiliar dogBehavioural

    Children will interact freely with an unfamiliar dog for 25 minutes

  • Nonsocial controlBehavioural

    Children will play with age-appropriate toys/games for 25 minutes.

Study groups in NCT03852264
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Pet Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Unfamiliar Dog InteractionExperimentalParticipant's first study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with the participant's pet dog. The second study visit involved 25 minutes of individual play with toys. The third study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with an unfamiliar dog.
Receives: Behavioral: Pet dog; Behavioral: Unfamiliar dog; Behavioral: Nonsocial control
Unfamiliar Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Pet Dog InteractionExperimentalParticipant's first study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with an unfamiliar dog. The second study visit involved 25 minutes of individual play with toys. The third study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with the participant's pet dog.
Receives: Behavioral: Pet dog; Behavioral: Unfamiliar dog; Behavioral: Nonsocial control

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Salivary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve

    Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).

    Measured: baseline, 15 minutes

  2. Urinary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve

    Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).

    Measured: baseline, 50 minutes

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Salivary Cortisol, Area Under the Curve

    Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).

    Measured: baseline, 50 minutes

  2. Urinary Vasopressin, Area Under the Curve

    Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).

    Measured: baseline, 50 minutes

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted25 Feb 2019
  2. Study start8 Mar 2019
  3. Primary completion10 Jan 2022
  4. Study completion10 Jan 2022

Resources

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Model description
Within-subjects, 3 conditions, 2 condition orders balanced across participants
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
55 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03852264
Sponsor's protocol ID
1808883345
Status last verified
Mar 2024
First submitted
19 Feb 2019
Last updated
12 Nov 2024
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Pet dog and Unfamiliar dog in people with Human-Animal Bond and Human-Animal Interaction, run by University of Arizona at 1 site in United States.

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 1 inclusion and 1 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 12 Nov 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 12 Nov 2024). 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?

Salivary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve (time frame: baseline, 15 minutes). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 12 Nov 2024.

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