Alcohol use disorders (AUD) and intimate partner aggression (IPA) frequently co-occur. There are significant health and economic burdens associated with AUD and co-occurring IPA, and little empirical data to guide treatment efforts. The neuropeptide oxytocin may help mitigate both AUD and IPA. However, clinical data examining oxytocin's effects on human aggression is scant. The proposed study is designed to address these gaps in the literature by utilizing a human laboratory paradigm to test the effects of oxytocin on craving and aggression among couples with AUD and co-occurring IPA.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
200
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Change in Alcohol Craving
Change in subjective alcohol craving as measured by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) between time point 3 (before the alcohol cue) and 4 (after the alcohol cue). Participants completed the VAS at 8 timepoints: Minute 0 (pre-OT/placebo) (Time 1) Minute 5 (pre-OT/placebo) (Time 2) OT/placebo administered at minute 10 Minute 40 (Time 3) Minute 45 - alcohol cue paradigm began Time 4 (immediately after alcohol cue) Minute 65 - TAP began Time 5 (immediately after TAP began) Time 6 (15 minutes after TAP) Time 7 (30 minutes after TAP) Time 8 (60 minutes after TAP) This 100mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was anchored on a 100mm Likert-type scale from 0 (not at all/no craving) to 10 (extremely/maximum carving). The scale is set to 100mm in length, and the lowest value is a 0 (zero), representing no craving and and highest value is a 10 (ten) representing extreme craving.
Time frame: Participants completed the VAS at 8 timepoints. Outcome measure represents the change in VAS scores between time point 3 (before the alcohol cue) and 4 (after the alcohol cue).
Laboratory Intimate Partner Aggression Intensity (IPA)
Intensity of laboratory-based IPA was assessed using the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP). IPA intensity is operationalized as the volume of "shock" administered on a 1-10 (1 is least intense, 10 is most intense) scale using the computer based paradigm in response to "losing" trials. TAP is a fictitious reaction time competition among partners. Participants are told that a winning trial required them to deliver a shock to their partner that ranged from 1 to 10 intensity for a duration of their choosing. A losing trial resulted in them receiving a shock from their partner (administered through two electrodes attached to the index and middle fingers of the nondominant hand). In reality, all participants received an identical sequence of "winning" or "losing" trials (and corresponding shocks) generated by the TAP software. IPA was operationalized as the average intensity (volume) and duration of shocks administered in response to "losing" trials.
Time frame: 10 minutes from start to end of TAP
Laboratory Intimate Partner Aggression (IPA) Duration
Laboratory IPA Duration was measured by the length of time participants administered "shocks" in the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP). Measured in milliseconds. Greater number of milliseconds represents a longer shock. TAP is a fictitious reaction time competition among partners. Participants are told that a winning trial required them to deliver a shock to their partner that ranged from 1 to 10 intensity for a duration of their choosing. A losing trial resulted in them receiving a shock from their partner (administered through two electrodes attached to the index and middle fingers of the nondominant hand). In reality, all participants received an identical sequence of "winning" or "losing" trials (and corresponding shocks) generated by the TAP software. IPA was operationalized as the average intensity (volume) and duration of shocks administered in response to "losing" trials.
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Time frame: 10 minutes from start to end of TAP
Change in Cortisol
Change in salivary cortisol measured between Time 4 (before the laboratory aggression paradigm) and Time 5 (after the laboratory aggression paradigm). Participants completed the VAS at 8 timepoints: Minute 0 (pre-OT/placebo) (Time 1) Minute 5 (pre-OT/placebo) (Time 2) OT/placebo administered at minute 10 Minute 40 (Time 3) Minute 45 - alcohol cue paradigm began Time 4 (immediately after alcohol cue) Minute 65 - TAP began Time 5 (immediately after TAP began) Time 6 (15 minutes after TAP) Time 7 (30 minutes after TAP) Time 8 (60 minutes after TAP) Higher salivary cortisol is indicative of higher stress response and lower salivary cortisol is indicative of lower stress response.
Time frame: Measured between Time 4 (before the laboratory aggression paradigm) and Time 5 (after the laboratory aggression paradigm).
Change in Subjective Aggression
Mean change in subjective aggression scores as measured by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) between time point 4 (after alcohol cue) and 5 (during Taylor Aggression Paradigm, TAP). Participants completed the VAS at 8 timepoints: Minute 0 (pre-OT/placebo) (Time 1) Minute 5 (pre-OT/placebo) (Time 2) OT/placebo administered at minute 10 Minute 40 (Time 3) Minute 45 - alcohol cue paradigm began Time 4 (immediately after alcohol cue) Minute 65 - TAP began Time 5 (immediately after TAP began) Time 6 (15 minutes after TAP) Time 7 (30 minutes after TAP) Time 8 (60 minutes after TAP) This 100mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was anchored on a Likert-type scale from 0 (not at all/no aggression) to 10 (extremely/maximum aggression). The scale is set to 100mm in length, and the lowest value is a 0 (zero), representing no aggression and and highest value is a 10 (ten) representing extreme aggression.
Time frame: Change is aggression measured between time point 4 (after the alcohol cue) and 5 (during Taylor Aggression Paradigm).