Oxytocin and reactivity to infant signals in mothers postpartum depressio

Phase 2

Conditions: postnatal depression
postpartum depression
10027946

Registration Number: NL-OMON53882

Lead Sponsor: Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Pending

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 35

Inclusion Criteria

• Mothers with a healthy infant between 0 and 9 months of age
• With a diagnosis of postpartum depression, that is, scores of >=7 on the
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and a postpartum depression diagnosis
confirmed through the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5

Exclusion Criteria

• Current mental disorder other than depression or an anxiety disorder
• PPD with psychotic symptoms
• Neurological disorders, endocrine diseases, cardiovascular diseases, nose
injuries and disorders, use of medication other than oral contraceptives or
anti-depressant medication
• Regular use of soft drugs, hard drug use within the past three months, or
excessive alcohol intake
• Pregnancy
• Preterm birth (< 37 weeks)

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Main study parameters are:<br /><br>- Maternal sensitivity during interaction with mother*s own infant and with a<br /><br>crying infant simulator<br /><br>- Maternal stress reactivity, assessed with heart rate and salivary cortisol<br /><br>- Recognition of infant facial emotional expressions</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>• We will examine the extent to which effects of oxytocin are moderated by<br /><br>mothers* early childhood experiences. Early childhood experiences are known to<br /><br>moderate effects of nasally administered oxytocin (Ellis et al., 2021, see<br /><br>research protocol), possibly also in mothers with postpartum depression.<br /><br>• We will examine whether oxytocin affects mothers* mood and the perceived<br /><br>relationship with her child. </p><br>