title: Relationship of plasma oxytocin levels to baseline symptoms and symptom changes during three weeks of daily oxytocin administration in people with schizophrenia.
abstract: Several clinical studies have found an inverse relationship between clinical symptoms and peripheral oxytocin (OT) levels in people with schizophrenia. As oxytocin is a putative treatment for schizophrenia, the effect of repeated dosing of OT on OT levels, clinical symptoms and the relationship between the two is of interest. In a, randomized, double blind, parallel group 3 week study (N=28) with daily administration of intranasal OT (20 IU twice daily) or placebo (PBO), we examined the effect of OT administration on the correlation between the change in peripheral OT levels and change in clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. At baseline, there were no significant treatment group differences in OT levels. There were no significant associations between baseline OT levels and any symptom measures. After 3 weeks of OT/PBO dosing, there was no significant difference in the magnitude of change in OT levels between the two treatment groups. Correlations between changes in peripheral OT levels and changes in the BPRS total and negative symptom scores were not different between treatment groups. Larger studies are needed to examine the effect of exogenous OT on peripheral OT levels and the relationship between the latter and clinical symptoms. Clinical Trials.gov=NCT00884897.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: leemary@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Mary R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Heidi J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wehring
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Jared
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linthicum
authors.affiliation: Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Georgetown University Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Verbalis
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Gregory P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: Women's Mental Health Research Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States.
authors.forename: Leah H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.
authors.forename: Deanna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Intranasal; Negative symptoms; Oxytocin; Oxytocin levels; Positive symptoms; Schizophrenia