Relationship Between Oxytocin Level, Trust, and Attachment in Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder Clinical Trial

Official title:

Relationship Between Oxytocin Level, Trust, and Attachment in Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Not yet recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06045650
• Other study ID #: 2060971
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Start date: June 1, 2024
• Est. completion date: September 1, 2025

Study information

• Verified date: May 2024
• Source: State University of New York - Upstate Medical University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

We aim to assess the baseline oxytocin levels in individuals with borderline personality disorder and correlate those levels with social behavior, and compare the results with controls.

Primary Hypothesis (H1):

There is a significant difference in trust-related behavior as measured by oxytocin (OXT) levels between borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients and healthy controls.

Secondary Hypotheses:

H2: The trust-related behavior in BPD patients is significantly influenced by their level of emotional sensitivity. Specifically, higher emotional sensitivity in BPD patients is associated with lower trust-related behavior and vice-versa.

H3: There is a significant correlation between trust-related behavior and childhood trauma in BPD patients. BPD patients with higher levels of reported childhood trauma will exhibit lower trust-related behavior compared to those with lower levels of trauma.

H4: Trust-related behavior in BPD patients varies depending on their attachment styles. Specifically, BPD patients with insecure attachment styles will exhibit lower trust-related behavior compared to those with secure attachment styles.

H5: There is a significant correlation between trust-related behavior and BPD severity. Patients with more severe BPD symptoms will exhibit lower trust-related behavior compared to those with less severe symptoms.

H6: The levels of OXT in BPD patients will significantly correlate with their reported levels of emotional sensitivity, childhood trauma, attachment styles, and BPD severity.

These hypotheses aim to address the complexities surrounding the modulation of trust-related behavior by oxytocin in BPD patients, taking into account various factors like emotional sensitivity, childhood adversity, attachment styles, and BPD severity. By testing these hypotheses, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between these factors in influencing trust-related behavior in BPD patients.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Enrollment: 92
• Est. completion date: September 1, 2025
• Est. primary completion date: August 1, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with borderline personality disorder will qualify as cases

• controls will be age, gender matched individuals without any psychiatric/mental health concerns

Exclusion Criteria:

• for all: pregnancy, hormonal or neurological disorders, and any kind of regular medication

• additional exclusion criteria for cases: a lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or significant neurological disease, current alcohol/ drug dependence

• for controls: MacLEan screening instrument for BPD will be used at the time of screening to exclude BPD diagnosis in controls

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Personality Disorders

Intervention

Other:
• baseline serum oxytocin levels
Both cases and controls will be assessed for their baseline serum oxytocin levels
• Emotional Sensitivity test
To assess the level of emotional sensitivity in the participant
• Neuro-economical game
A game played to assess the trust-index of participants
• Childhood Trauma Questionnaire
to assess childhood trauma score
• Relationships Questionnaire
to assess attachment type
• demographic questionnaire
To obtain basic data on demographics

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	SUNY Upstate Medical University	Syracuse	New York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
State University of New York - Upstate Medical University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Correlation of Oxytocin levels and trust index		Day 1