Dog Presence and Oxytocin on Trust Towards Therapists

Официальное название

Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Trust Towards Therapists and Dogs: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Adults

Обзор

Oxytocin has been proposed as a neuroendocrine mechanism that may mediate the relationship between dog ownership and positive health outcomes and be linked to human-dog interactions and is thought to be a mechanism of interspecies bonding. While the role of oxytocin in human bonding behaviours and social behaviour, in general, is becoming well-established the role of oxytocin in human-animal interaction and Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) remains unclear. This research gap calls for more high-quality research investigating this possible neuroendocrine underlying mechanism to advance knowledge about AAI. If oxytocin indeed might be involved in interspecies bonding, intranasally administered oxytocin should not only enhance trust toward a human but also towards a dog.

Вмешательства

• Препарат Oxytocin nasal spray
  Syntocinon nose spray is usually applied in the context of labour and breast feeding. In this study, however, it will be used to induce an oxytocin (OT) release. Participants will apply three sprays in each nostril which will result in a dose of 24 I.U of oxytocin per participant
• Другое Animal-Assisted Intervention
  The dogs involved in the study are trained and used to work with different people in animal-assisted interventions. The dog will be familiarized with the room and the material as well as the staff of the study. The dog will be specifically trained for this study. The dog will be involved for a maximum of 3 sessions per day (approx. 20 minutes in total) and 2 days per week.
• Препарат Placebo
  The placebo nose spray contains a saltwater solution and will be applied like the Syntocinon nose spray containing oxytocin.

Первичные конечные точки

• Trust in the therapist [Срок оценки: immediately after the intervention]

Вторичные конечные точки (9)

• Trust in the dog [Срок оценки: immediately after the intervention]
• perceived emotional closeness to the dog [Срок оценки: immediately after the intervention]
• perceived stress [Срок оценки: pre-intervention]
• perceived stress [Срок оценки: immediately after the intervention]
• level of difficulty [Срок оценки: immediately after the intervention]
• therapeutic alliance [Срок оценки: immediately after the intervention]
• therapeutic climate [Срок оценки: immediately after the intervention]
• psychological flexibility [Срок оценки: pre-intervention]
• psychological flexibility [Срок оценки: immediately after the intervention]

Критерии участия

Критерии включения

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Signed informed consent

Критерии исключения

• Pregnancy
• Being scared of dogs or dog hair allergy by self-report
• Any acute or chronic disease (e.g., chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, renal disease, liver disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, skin pathologies etc.)
• Current medications (psychoactive medication, narcotics, intake of analgesics) or being currently in psychological or psychiatric treatment
• Drug consumption (THC, cocaine, heroin, etc.) within the past 24h before study appointment
• Ongoing psychotherapy treatment
• Sexual Intercourse within the past 24h before study appointment
• Current disease involving respiratory system (e.g., influence, asthma etc.)
• Insufficient German language skills to understand the instructions

Критерии приведены из реестра в оригинале (на английском). Окончательную оценку соответствия проводит исследовательский центр.

Здоровые добровольцы: Да

Дизайн исследования

Распределение

Рандомизированное

Модель

Параллельные группы

Маскирование

Четверное слепое

Основная цель

Фундаментальное исследование

Центры проведения

Швейцария · 1 центр

• University of Basel — Basel

Публикации

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• Powell, L., Guastella, A. J., McGreevy, P. D., Bauman, A., Edwards, K. M., & Stamatakis, E. (2018). The physiological function of oxytocin in humans and its acute response to human-dog interactions: A review of the literature. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 30, 25-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2018.10.008
• Crits-Christoph P, Rieger A, Gaines A, Gibbons MBC. Trust and respect in the patient-clinician relationship: preliminary development of a new scale. BMC Psychol. 2019 Dec 30;7(1):91. doi: 10.1186/s40359-019-0347-3. PMID 31888759
• Coleman, J. A., Green, B., Garthe, R. C., Worthington Jr, E. L., Barker, S. B., & Ingram, K. M. (2016). The Coleman Dog Attitude Scale (C-DAS): development, refinement, validation, and reliability. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 176, 77-86.

Идентификаторы

NCT: NCT06248710 · 2023-00523

Первоисточники (государственные реестры)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (NIH, США)

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