This research study will test if oxytocin, delivered by nasal spray, will promote weight loss in children, adolescents, and adults with Hypothalamic Obesity as compared to a placebo. The study is divided into two parts. During the first part, subjects will receive either oxytocin or placebo. In the second part, subjects will "cross-over" to receive the other treatment - either oxytocin or placebo. During study visits participants will do blood tests, physical exams, metabolic testing, a MRI scan, and some surveys and questionnaires.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
18
The active substance of Syntocinon is a synthetic nonapeptide identical to the posterior pituitary hormone oxytocin.
The placebo is identical to the Syntocinon formulation with the exception of the active compound, i.e., without oxytocin.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Weight Loss
The primary objective of this study is to determine whether treatment with 8 weeks of intranasal OXT (relative to 8 weeks of placebo) will promote weight loss in children and adolescents with brain tumors and hypothalamic obesity syndrome ages 10 to 35 years. Specifically, the primary outcome will be: the difference of the post-treatment weight between the two periods (treatment vs. placebo); the statistical model will include the difference of the baseline weight between the two periods and the sequence (OXT-PBO versus PBO-OXT).
Time frame: Assessed at the beginning and end of each Intervention Period (Intervention 1: Visit 1 to Visit 4 = 8 Weeks, Intervention 2: Visit 5 to Visit 8 = 8 Weeks)
Peripheral Oxytocin Area Under the Curve (AUC)
We will determine the immediate peripheral pharmacokinetics of intranasal oxytocin (versus placebo/endogenous oxytocin). In order to minimize participant burden, each participant had the assessment at one time point with either the low or high dose of oxytocin. And at one point during the placebo block. For this exploratory outcome, visits representing lower dose and higher dose oxytocin were Combined versus lower and higher dose placebo.
Time frame: Assessed during each treatment block: at either initial lower dose at baseline (week 0 & week 12) or increased dose at 2 weeks (week 2 & week 15); 50% of participants at each set.
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