Oxytocin to Enhance Alcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy (ABCT)
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2023-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
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.
Phase:
Phase 2
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Medical University of South Carolina
Collaborator:
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)