Circulating Oxytocin Changes in Response to the Oxytocin System Stimulator MDMA in Patients With Diabetes Insipidus and Healthy Controls

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial (n=30) called OxyMA aims to investigate the changes in circulating oxytocin levels in response to the oxytocin system stimulator MDMA in patients with diabetes insipidus and healthy controls.

The study will compare the effects of a single dose of MDMA (100mg) to placebo in both groups. The primary outcome measure is the area under the concentration time curve in oxytocin level from baseline to 6 hours after administration of MDMA, comparing patients with central diabetes insipidus and healthy volunteers.

Secondary outcome measures include peak change in oxytocin plasma level, time course of plasma OT levels, time course of plasma MDMA concentration, time course of cortisol levels, time course of prolactin levels, time course of copeptin levels, time course of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels, subjective/emotional effects, recognition of negative emotions, empathy, anxiety level, level of alexithymia, level of depression, and level of general physical and mental health. The study started on February 5, 2021, and was completed on April 11, 2022. The study was conducted at the University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland.

Topic Healthy Subjects
Compound Placebo MDMA
Country Switzerland
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Trial Details



Trial Number

Sponsors & Collaborators

University of Basel
The University of Basel Department of Biomedicine hosts the Liechti Lab research group, headed by Matthias Liechti.

Papers

The effect of MDMA on anterior pituitary hormones: a secondary analysis of a randomized placebo-controlled trial
This secondary analysis of an RCT (n=15) investigates the acute effects of MDMA (100mg) on anterior pituitary function in healthy adults. It finds that MDMA significantly activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing both ACTH and cortisol levels. No significant effects were observed on other anterior pituitary hormones, though prolactin showed a mild, non-significant increase.

Oxytocin in response to MDMA provocation test in patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency (central diabetes insipidus): a single-centre, case-control study with nested, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial
This double-blind, placebo-controlled study (n=30) explores oxytocin deficiency in patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency (central diabetes insipidus), using MDMA as a biochemical and psychoactive provocation test. The participants included patients with vasopressin deficiency and healthy controls, who were given either MDMA or placebo in a randomized order over two sessions.

Data attribution

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