In search of an adult attachment stress provocation to measure effect on the oxytocin system: a pilot validation study.
BACKGROUND
Oxytocin is a promising biomarker for psychiatric conditions arising from early relational trauma, childhood maltreatment, and attachment dysregulation, including posttraumatic stress and dissociative disorders.


OBJECTIVE
This exploratory pilot study examined plasma oxytocin as a biomarker for alterations in the attachment system.


METHODS
We used a single group, repeated-measures design with 15 women. The protocol used a film clip previously validated as a provocation to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.


RESULTS
The repeated-measures ANOVA showed differences in oxytocin across the three time points. Correlations with oxytocin indicated that measures of dissociation and somatization correlated most strongly with higher levels of oxytocin measured during exposure to the film's bonding scene and posttraumatic stress disorder correlated most strongly with lower levels at the film's abandonment scene. Post hoc analyses revealed differences in oxytocin response related to psychopathology.


CONCLUSIONS
Replication studies should characterize participants on a range of psychiatric conditions associated with attachment dysregulation.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Michelle L
ML
Munro
Stephanie L
SL
Brown
Hossein
H
Pournajafi-Nazarloo
C Sue
CS
Carter
William D
WD
Lopez
Julia S
JS
Seng
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D009769:Object Attachment; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D019962:Reactive Attachment Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000451:nursing*; D012016:Reference Values; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000097:blood / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D010121:Oxytocin
attachment; biomarker; dissociation; oxytocin; posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)