Emotional Processing and Oxytocin Mechanisms in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2016-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Female

Summary

This research study will look at brain and symptom differences among women with severe premenstrual mood symptoms. One goal of this study is to look at the effects of taking a nasal spray containing oxytocin (a hormone made in the brain) on brain areas involved in emotion regulation while viewing pictures during a neuroimaging (fMRI) session. The investigators will also look at whether oxytocin improves premenstrual mood symptoms.

• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Treatments: Oxytocin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• In order to be eligible to enter this study, subjects will have met PMDD Study Entry Criteria in the diagnostic feeder study (IRB# 05-3000)

• 18 to 52 years of age

• Regular menstrual cycles

• Ability to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• current psychiatric diagnosis of substance abuse or claustrophobia (fear of closed places)

• pregnancy (based on urine pregnancy test) or breastfeeding

• use of psychiatric medication (e.g. for depression, anxiety), hormonal medication, other agents that alter mood or thinking, or street drugs

• any foreign iron or steel metal objects in the body, such as a pacemaker, shrapnel, metal plate, certain types of tattoos, or metal debris