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Oxytocin to Enhance Alcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy (ABCT)

NCT03846505 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 192

Last updated 2025-02-21

Study results available
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Summary

Alcohol Behavioral Couples Therapy (ABCT) is a manualized 12-session, weekly psychosocial intervention that simultaneously reduces alcohol use disorder (AUD) severity and improves relationship functioning. However, there remains room to improve ABCT outcomes. A growing literature suggests that intranasal oxytocin is a medication that holds promise to achieve that goal. Oxytocin has demonstrated the ability to increase prosocial behavior (e.g., trust, safety, social cognition) and restore sensitivity to natural rewards such as interpersonal relationships that are commonly eroded in the context of addiction. Oxytocin has also demonstrated the ability to reduce substance use behaviors (e.g., craving, self-administration, tolerance, withdrawal), and improves the neurobiological foundations of AUD. The primary objective of this Stage II study is to test the efficacy of oxytocin versus placebo in improving (1) AUD symptom severity, (2) relationship functioning, and (3) corticolimbic connectivity among couples receiving ABCT therapy.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Oxytocin

A 40-IU dose of oxytocin will be self-administered 30 minutes prior to the start of each weekly ABCT session.

OTHER

Placebo

A placebo will be self-administered 30 minutes prior to the start of each weekly ABCT session.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

    collaborator NIH

  • Medical University of South Carolina

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Julianne Flanagan, PhD · Medical University of South Carolina

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-05-16
Primary Completion
2024-01-31
Completion
2024-01-31
FDA Drug
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03846505 on ClinicalTrials.gov