title: Oxytocin may be useful to increase trust in others and decrease disruptive behaviours in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome: a randomised placebo-controlled trial in 24 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex neurodevelopmental genetic disorder with hypothalamic dysfunction, early morbid obesity with hyperphagia, and specific psychiatric phenotypes including cognitive and behavioural problems, particularly disruptive behaviours and frequent temper outbursts that preclude socialization. A deficit in oxytocin (OT)-producing neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus has been reported in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study, 24 adult patients with PWS received a single intranasal administration of 24 IU of OT or placebo and were tested 45 min later on social skills. Behaviours were carefully monitored and scored using an in-house grid as follows: over the two days before drug administration, on the half-day following administration, and over the subsequent two days. All patients were in a dedicated PWS centre with more than ten years of experience. Patients are regularly admitted to this controlled environment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with PWS who received a single intranasal administration of OT displayed significantly increased trust in others (P = 0.02) and decreased sadness tendencies (P = 0.02) with less disruptive behaviour (P = 0.03) in the two days following administration than did patients who received placebo. In the half-day following administration, we observed a trend towards less conflict with others (p = 0.07) in the OT group compared with the placebo group. Scores in tests assessing social skills were not significantly different between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study needs to be reproduced and adapted. It nevertheless opens new perspectives for patients with PWS and perhaps other syndromes with behavioural disturbances and obesity.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01038570.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Référence du Syndrome de Prader-Willi, Division of Endocrinology, Genetics, Gynaecology and Bone Diseases, Hôpital des Enfants, Toulouse, France. tauber.mt@chu-toulouse.fr
authors.forename: Maïthe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tauber
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mantoulan
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Copet
authors.forename: Joseba
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jauregui
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demeer
authors.forename: Gwenaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diene
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rogé
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laurier
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ehlinger
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnaud
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Molinas
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thuilleaux
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D010121:Oxytocin