EFFECTS OF INTRANASAL VASOPRESSIN AND OXYTOCIN ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONDING DURING PERSONAL COMBAT IMAGERY IN VIETNAM VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

Citation
Rk. Pitman et al., EFFECTS OF INTRANASAL VASOPRESSIN AND OXYTOCIN ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONDING DURING PERSONAL COMBAT IMAGERY IN VIETNAM VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER, Psychiatry research, 48(2), 1993, pp. 107-117
Citations number
39
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry
Journal title
ISSN journal
01651781
Volume
48
Issue
2
Year of publication
1993
Pages
107 - 117
Database
ISI
SICI code
0165-1781(1993)48:2<107:EOIVAO>2.0.ZU;2-L
Abstract
This study measured heart rate, skin conductance, and lateral frontali s electromyographic (EMG) responses in 43 male Vietnam veterans with p osttraumatic stress disorder during personal combat imagery. In a doub le-blind research design, subjects were randomly assigned to receive i ntranasal arginine vasopressin (20 IU), placebo, or oxytocin (20 IU) a n hour before the experiment. The group order of physiologic respondin g was as predicted: vasopressin > placebo > oxytocin. The most specifi c effect was exerted by vasopressin on EMG responses. This drug effect was not accounted for by nonspecific changes in responsiveness. Resul ts are consistent with enhancing and inhibiting effects on memory retr ieval and conditioned responding of vasopressin and oxytocin, respecti vely.