Cited by 3Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchPsychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Design of a randomized clinical trial of brief couple therapy for PTSD augmented with intranasal oxytocin

Sippel, Lauren M., Wachsman, Tamara R., Kelley, Mary E., Knopp, Kayla C., Khalifian, Chandra E., Maglione, Jeanne E., Glynn, Shirley M., Macdonald, Alexandra +4 more·2024·Contemporary Clinical Trials

Abstract

Background Leveraging military veterans' intimate relationships during treatment has the potential to concurrently improve posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and relationship quality. Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) and an 8-session Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (bCBCT) are manualized treatments designed to simultaneously improve PTSD and relationship functioning for couples in which one partner has PTSD. Although efficacious in improving PTSD, the effects of CBCT on relationship satisfaction are small, especially among veterans. Intranasal oxytocin, which targets mechanisms of PTSD and relationship quality, may enhance the efficacy of bCBCT. Method/design The purpose of this 4-year clinical trial is to compare the outcomes of bCBCT augmented with intranasal oxytocin versus bCBCT plus placebo. We will also explore potential mechanisms of action: self-reported communication skills, empathy, and trust. We will recruit 120 dyads (i.e., veteran with PTSD and their intimate partner) from the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Veterans will be administered 40 international units of oxytocin (n = 60) or placebo (n = 60) 30 min before each of 8 bCBCT sessions delivered via telehealth. Clinical and functioning outcomes will be assessed at five timepoints (baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and 3- and 6-month follow-up). Conclusion Study findings will reveal the efficacy of oxytocin-assisted brief couple therapy for PTSD, which could serve as highly scalable option for couples coping with PTSD, as well as provide preliminary evidence of interpersonal mechanisms of change. Clinicaltrials govIdentifier:NCT06194851.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107534

Cites

66 of 66 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

5 of the 71 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Sippel, L. M., Wachsman, T. R., Kelley, M. E., Knopp, K. C., Khalifian, C. E., Maglione, J. E., Glynn, S. M., Macdonald, A., Monson, C. M., Flanagan, J. C., Holtzheimer, P. E., & Morland, L. A.
Affiliations
  • Dartmouth College (US)
  • VA San Diego Healthcare System (US)
  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • Citadel (US)
  • Toronto Metropolitan University (CA)
  • Medical University of South Carolina (US)
Corresponding author
Sippel, Lauren M.
Venue
Contemporary Clinical Trials
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-06
Volume
141
Pages
107534
ISSN
1551-7144 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4394796443
Cited by
3
References
71
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1
FWCI
1.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Contemporary Clinical Trials (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Office of Research and Development (1IK2RX003777, 1IK2RX003490)
  • Rehabilitation Research and Development Service
  • US Department of Veterans Affairs (I01RX004776)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, intranasal oxytocin, military veterans, intimate relationships, relationship quality, telemedicine, empathy, trust
MeSH terms
Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Communication, Double-Blind Method

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review