Peripheral Oxytocin and Touch

What Was Tested

In this phase 2 trial, researchers set out to test Oxytocin.

Research shows that slow gentle skin stroking can activate special sensory nerves in the skin that elicit relaxing effects on the body and mind, similar to the effects of the hormone oxytocin.

However, the researchers do not know what oxytocin does in the skin and how it affects nerves that send pleasant touch or pain signals to the brain.

It had two arms (groups): Order 1 (experimental) and Order 2 (experimental).

The registry classes the interventions as drug.

Who Took Part

Enrollment: 20 actual participants took part.

It was open to people of any sex aged from 18 years up to 65 years.

Healthy volunteers could join, not only people with the condition.

Examples of who could join: Between the ages of 18 and 65 years old. Fluent in English.

The full record lists 3 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria; among the exclusions: sensory or motor nerve deficit; acute or chronic pain; unstable psychiatric conditions.

How the Study Was Run

It was run as a randomized, crossover and quadruple-blind study.

Because people in this Oxytocin study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Oxytocin and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

Blinding on both sides kept the participants and researchers unaware of who received Oxytocin.

Those kept unaware of assignments: participant, care provider, investigator and outcomes assessor.

It started in 2023-04-05 with completion listed for 2023-08-03.

It ran at 1 site in United States.

Its stated primary purpose is basic science.

What Was Measured

Researchers chose this as the main measure: Change in Mean Pleasantness Rating of Gentle Brushing. Change in Mechanical Threshold. Change in Temporal Summation of Pinprick Stimuli.

It also tracked 3 secondary outcomes, for example Pressure Pain Threshold, Heat Pain Threshold and Heat Pain Ratings.

What This Means in Plain Language

Put simply, this is a phase 2, randomized trial of Oxytocin in 20 people.

Its size is small, so on its own it can only give an early look.

The trial is marked completed; results are posted on the registry, and this page does not restate them.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page, all human trials.