Table 1.
OT administration trials in trauma-exposed individuals and PTSD patients
| Year | Authors | RCT | Sample | Sex (f) | Dose (IU) | Min. to task | Stimuli/task | Neuroanatomic, psychophysiological and neuroendocrine response to OT (vs PL) | Psychological responses to OT (vs PL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Sack et al. | DBPLWS | 35 PTSD | 100% | 24 | 45 | Trauma-script driven imagery |
↑ HR at baseline and to trauma-script ↓ marker sympathetic cardiac control ≠ HRV (parasympathetic cardial tone) |
↓ total state PTSD symptoms ↓ avoidance (trend for significance) ≠ re-experiencing or dissociation |
| 2016 | Palgi et al. | DBPLCO |
32 PTSD 30 healthy controls |
28% | 24 | 45 | Compassion task | ----- | PTSD and HC: ↑ compassion towards women (not towards men) |
| 2017 | Palgi et al. | Emotional/cognitive empathy tasks | ----- | PTSD males: ↑ recognition body-motions of anger | |||||
| 2016 | Nawijn et al. | DBPLCO |
35 PTSD 37 trauma-exposed |
44% | 40 | 50 | Monetary incentive delay task |
PTSD and TE: ↑ left and right STRIA and INS (PTM) and right dACC PTSD: ↑ left vSTRIA during reward anticipation related to severity of anhedonia |
PTSD: ↓ anhedonia |
| 2017 | Nawijn et al. |
Social incentive delay task |
PTSD and TE: ↑ left aINS and right PTM PTSD: ↑↑ left aINS (up to level of TE controls) PTSD symptoms ≠ PTM or INS responses PTSD and TE: ≠ AMY |
PTSD and TE: ≠ social reward/punishment ratings and social reward feedback; PTSD: ↓ punishment ratings related to severity of PTSD symptoms |
|||||
| 2016a | Koch et al. | DBPLCO |
37 PTSD 40 trauma-exposed |
47% | 40 | 45 | Fearful-angry/ happy-neutral faces |
TE: ↑ left AMY PTSD: ↓ left AMY (independent of sex and stimuli valence) |
PTSD: ↓↓ AMY related to higher state anxiety |
| 2016b | Koch et al. | Resting-state |
PTSD males:↑ FC vmPFC and CeM PTSD females: ↓ FC AMY-dACC |
↓ anxiety and nervousness in PTSD | |||||
| 2018b | Flanagan et al. | DBPLBS |
6 PTSD –OT 7 PTSD - PL |
18% | 40 | 45 | PE session (weeks 2–9) | ----- | ↓ lower PTSD and depression symptom severity (non sign) |
| 2016a | Frijling et al. | DBPLBS |
19 TE-OT 18 TE - PL |
51% | 40 |
45 55–88 |
Script-driven imagery Resting-state |
↓ FC AMY-left vlPFC ↑ FC AMY–INS ↓ FC AMY–vmPFC |
↑ higher flashback intensity ↓ sleepiness during trauma-script |
| 2016b | Frijling et al. | DBPLBS |
23 TE-OT 18 TE - PL |
59% | 40 | 45 | Emotional face-matching task |
↑ right AMY to fearful faces ↑ left AMY in females to neutral faces |
OT and PL: acute PTSD symptomatology ≠ with AMY responses to fearful faces |
| 2017 | van Zuiden et al. | DBPLBS |
53 TE-OT 54 TE-PL |
50% | 40 (twice daily - 8 days) | 12 days after trauma | ----- | ----- |
≠ PTSD symptoms 1,5 months postpartum ↓ PTSD symptoms at follow up when high initial acute PTSD symptoms |
↑, increased; ↓, decreased; ≠, no effect/no difference/unrelated; ----, not measured; CO, cross over; WS, within subjects; BS, between subjects; DB, double-blind; PL, placebo; HR, heart rate; FC, functional connectivity; OT, oxytocin, d, dorsal, a, anterior; v, ventral; vl, ventrolateral; vm, ventromedial; AMY, amygdala; PFC, prefrontal cortex; ACC, anterior cingulate cortex; INS, insula; STRIA, striatum