Study type: Human research · Status: Verified against declared source

Preventing PTSD with oxytocin: effects of oxytocin administration on fear neurocircuitry and PTSD symptom development in recently trauma-exposed individuals

2017

Study scale: We assessed the acute effects of a single administration of intranasal oxytocin on the fear neurocircuitry in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in trauma-exposed emergency department patients within 11 days posttrauma.

Abstract only: Open source record

Product or molecular entity relationships

  • Oxytocin: Exact entity relationship. Legacy citation custody associates this source with the catalog record; no product-relevance conclusion is implied.

Plain-language verified summary

Question

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder which develops in approximately 10% of trauma-exposed individuals.

Methods

Methods: We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to assess the acute effects of a single administration of oxytocin on the functional fear neurocircuitry – consisting of the amygdala and (pre)frontal brain regions – in recently trauma-exposed emergency department patients (range n = 37–41).

Scale or participants

We assessed the acute effects of a single administration of intranasal oxytocin on the fear neurocircuitry in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in trauma-exposed emergency department patients within 11 days posttrauma.

Key findings

Methods: We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to assess the acute effects of a single administration of oxytocin on the functional fear neurocircuitry – consisting of the amygdala and (pre)frontal brain regions – in recently trauma-exposed emergency department patients (range n = 37–41).

Limitations and uncertainty

Results: In our fMRI experiments we observed acutely increased amygdala reactivity to fearful faces and attenuated amygdala-ventromedial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity after a single oxytocin administration in recently trauma-exposed individuals.

Verified against declared source. Verification is limited to the declared source and review scope. It does not mean independent replication or establish efficacy, safety, or suitability.