Effects of intranasal vasopressin and oxytocin on physiologic responding during personal combat imagery in Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder
Abstract
This study measured heart rate, skin conductance, and lateral frontalis electromyographic (EMG) responses in 43 male Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder during personal combat imagery. In a double-blind research design, subjects were randomly assigned to receive intranasal arginine vasopressin (20 IU), placebo, or oxytocin (20 IU) an hour before the experiment. The group order of physiologic responding was as predicted: vasopressin > placebo > oxytocin. The most specific effect was exerted by vasopressin on EMG responses. This drug effect was not accounted for by nonspecific changes in responsiveness. Results are consistent with enhancing and inhibiting effects on memory retrieval and conditioned responding of vasopressin and oxytocin, respectively.
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A single dose of oxytocin was not effective in reducing physiological reactivity during one-session exposure therapy for PTSD.
“One study found that a single dose of oxytocin was not effective in reducing physiological reactivity during one-session exposure therapy for PTSD (Pitman et al., 1993).”
From Augmenting Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD with intranasal oxytocin: a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial (2018) · cites this paper as Pitman et al., 1993
Pitman and colleagues found no changes in heart rate in male PTSD veterans, neither at baseline nor in response to combat audiovisual stimulus.
“Pitman and colleagues found no changes in HR in male PTSD veterans, neither at baseline nor in response to combat audiovisual stimulus [10].”
There are only two studies thus far that have analyzed the efficacy of oxytocin on PTSD symptom intensity in PTSD patients, among them one symptom provocation study in male veterans.
“There are, to the best of our knowledge, only two studies thus far that have analyzed the efficacy of oxytocin on PTSD symptom intensity in PTSD patients, among them one symptom provocation study that was performed in a cohort of male veterans [10].”
There have been only two prior studies assessing effects of oxytocin treatment on intensity of PTSD symptoms in humans.
“there have only been two prior studies that assessed the effects of oxytocin treatment on the intensity of PTSD symptoms in humans [10, 12].”
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- Authors
- Pitman, R. K., Orr, S. P., & Lasko, N. B.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Pitman, Roger K.
- Venue
- Psychiatry Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1993-08
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 107-117
- ISSN
- 0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2042299766
- Cited by
- 150
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 1.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- oxytocin, post-traumatic stress disorder, Vietnam War veterans, heart rate, skin conductance, memory retrieval, conditioned responding, stress hormones
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Arginine Vasopressin, Arousal, Combat Disorders, Double-Blind Method, Electromyography, Galvanic Skin Response, Heart Rate, Humans, Imagination, Male, Middle Aged, Oxytocin
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