Intranasal Oxytocin for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (INOT)
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Purpose
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by abnormalities in speech and communication, impaired social functioning and repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Oxytocin (OT) is peptide that is known for its peripheral effects on facilitating uterine contractions and milk let-down; however, studies, mainly with rodents and non-human primates, has found that OT is involved in affiliative behaviors, including sexual behavior, mother-infant and adult-adult pair-bond formation, separation distress, and other aspects of social attachment. Moreover, OT is known to play an important role in repetitive behaviors and stress reactivity. Given that repetitive behaviors and deficits in social interaction are core symptom domains of autism, and that OT is involved in the regulation of repetitive and affiliative behaviors, it is believed that OT may play a role in the etiology of autism. Moreover, preliminary data obtained by Hollander and colleagues suggests that OT may be of value in treating core autism symptoms. Specifically, synthetic oxytocin administered via intravenous infusion to adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) produced significant reductions in repetitive behaviors and facilitated social cognition/memory in a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over laboratory challenge.
Encouraged by these findings, the primary aim of this study is to investigate the safety and therapeutic efficacy of intranasal OT in treating repetitive behaviors and social functioning/cognitive deficits in adults with ASD. This research embraces a translational approach to develop a novel treatment for core ASD symptoms; given that there are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medication treatments for core ASD symptoms, this research addresses an important unmet need in the field. The goal of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeated Intranasal Oxytocin Treatment (INOT)administration in adults with ASD.
| Condition | Intervention |
|---|---|
|
Autism Spectrum Disorders |
Drug: Intranasal Oxytocin Drug: Placebo |
| Study Type: | Interventional |
| Study Design: | Allocation: Randomized Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) Primary Purpose: Treatment |
| Official Title: | Intranasal Oxytocin for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders |
- Clinical Global Impressions Scale- Severity and Improvement [ Time Frame: Week 8 (end of study) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]Rating Scale that utilizes direct observation, scales and patient report to inform clinical judgment. A form of CGI that targets social functioning will be used as the primary outcome measure. Semi-structured interview.
- Number of Adverse Events in Patients with Oxytocin verse Placebo [ Time Frame: Weeks 2,4, 6 and 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]Adverse events will be recorded for each subject by the study psychiatrist at the study visit in weeks 2 -8. Although no formal statistical analyses will be completed, results from Intranasal Oxytocin groups will be compared to the placebo group.
- Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) [ Time Frame: baseline, weeks 2,4,6,8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]Clinician-Rated questionnaire measuring the time spent, distress,interference, resistance, and control in relation to obsessions and compulsions based on a 5 point scale.
- Repetitive Behavior Scale - Revised (RBS-R) [ Time Frame: Baseline, weeks 2,4,6,8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]A clinical tool measuring repetitive behaviors specific to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
- Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy - 2 (DANVA-2) [ Time Frame: baseline and week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]A clinical tool measuring emotion recognition through facial expression, voice and posture. This tool is commonly used to assess nonverbal processing abilities.
| Estimated Enrollment: | 34 |
| Study Start Date: | October 2009 |
| Estimated Study Completion Date: | December 2013 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date: | December 2013 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
| Arms | Assigned Interventions |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Oxytocin |
Drug: Intranasal Oxytocin
Oxytocin administered intranasally twice a day via 1 12 unit puff to each nostril, totaling 48 IU a day.
|
| Placebo Comparator: Placebo |
Drug: Placebo
Saline will be administered intranasally twice a day via 1 puff per nostril, totaling 48 IU a day.
|
Eligibility| Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 55 Years |
| Genders Eligible for Study: | Both |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male and Female
- 18 to 55 years old
- Meet DSM-IV, ADOS, and ADI-R standards for Autism Spectrum Disorder or Aspergers Syndrome
- Have a high, normal or near normal IQ
- Speak and Understand English fluently
Exclusion Criteria:
- Born prior to 35 weeks gestational age
- Any primary psychiatric diagnosis other than autism at the time of screening
- Medical history of neurological disease
- Medical history of known MRI/structural lesion of the brain
- Patients who are pregnant
- With a medical condition that might interfere with the conduct of the study, confound interpretation of study results or endanger their own well being
- With evidence or history of malignancy or any significant hematological, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, hepatic or gastrointestinal disease
- Taking psychoactive medications
- Who plan to initiate or change nonpharmacologic interventions during the study course
- Who are unable to tolerate venipuncture procedures for blood sampling
Contacts and Locations| Contact: Casara J Ferretti, MS | 7186963036 | cferrett@montefiore.org |
| Contact: Emma Racine | 718-653-4859 ext 223 | eracine@montefiore.org |
| United States, New York | |
| Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Recruiting |
| Bronx, New York, United States, 10467 | |
| Contact: Casara J Ferretti, MS 718-696-3036 cferrett@montefiore.org | |
| Principal Investigator: Eric Hollander, MD | |
| Principal Investigator: | Eric Hollander, MD | Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine |
More Information
No publications provided
| Responsible Party: | Eric Hollander, Clinical Professor, Montefiore Medical Center |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01337687 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: | NARSAD Award |
| Study First Received: | December 15, 2010 |
| Last Updated: | May 30, 2013 |
| Health Authority: | United States: Food and Drug Administration |
Keywords provided by Montefiore Medical Center:
|
Autism Autism Spectrum Disorders Oxytocin Hollander |
ASD Asperger Syndrome Asperger |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
|
Autistic Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Mental Disorders Diagnosed in Childhood Mental Disorders Oxytocin |
Oxytocics Reproductive Control Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs Pharmacologic Actions Therapeutic Uses |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 18, 2013