The Effects of Social Support and Oxytocin Administration on Physiological Stress Reactivity in Essential Hypertension

Summary

To test a psychopharmacological intervention strategy which may provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the physiological hyperreactivity to stress observed in hypertension, we plan to test the effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin and social support on the neurobiological and psychological responsiveness to social stress. The study population for this project consists of 80 hypertensive and 80 normotensive non-smoking medication-free men. We expect exogenous oxytocin administration to enable hypertensives to effectively take advantage of the provided social support. Thereby, oxytocin may enhance the effect of social support on reducing the previously observed physiological hyperreactivity to stress in essential hypertensives.

Timeline

Start

2014-11

Primary completion

2016-06

Completion

2016-06

Outcome

Outcome not reported

Stopped: “PI moved away from Bern; lack of personnel in Bern to conduct the study within a reasonable time frame.”

Drugs

Indications