Double-blind Placebo Controlled Study of Oxytocin in Fragile X Syndrome

March 16, 2020 updated by: Allan Reiss, Stanford University
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the medication oxytocin is an effective and tolerable treatment in adolescent males with fragile X syndrome (FraX) for improving socially appropriate behaviors and reducing social anxiety.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Twelve male adolescent (13-24 years) subjects with confirmed genetic diagnosis of FraX (full mutation) will participate in this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. They will receive a dose of either 24 IU oxytocin, 48 IU oxytocin or placebo at each of three visits to the lab, with each visit spaced one week apart. The efficacy of each dose will be evaluated using behavioral, cognitive and physiological metrics. If individual subject results suggest that either of the oxytocin dosage levels (24 IU or 48 IU) is superior to placebo in the double-blind phase, a single-blind trial using the optimal dosage of oxytocin will then be administered daily for 14 days by parents at home. Subjects will then come into the lab for a final assessment on Day 30. Determination of beneficial response to oxytocin will be based on a 20% change (improvement) in behavior or test performance (see below). If both oxytocin dosage levels provide similar benefits compared to placebo, the lower dose will be chosen for the 14 day single-blind trial.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
10

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Stanford, California, United States, 94305
        • Stanford University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

13 years to 29 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Confirmed genetic diagnosis of Fragile X (FraX) (full mutation).
  2. Male (who have more serious effects due to the X chromosome nature of the disorder)
  3. Age 13-29 years.
  4. Parent of adolescent must be willing to sign informed consent.
  5. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) > 42.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Cardiac risk factors.
  2. Medication exclusions: opiates or opiate antagonists, corticosteroids, typical or atypical antipsychotics.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: placebo, oxytocin 24IU, oxytocin 48IU
intranasal placebo (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at baseline, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal oxytocin (24 international units; 4IU per puff) and intranasal placebo (24 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 2, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal oxytocin (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 3, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles
Drug: placebo
intranasal placebo (48 international units)
Drug: oxytocin 24IU
intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) and intranasal placebo (24 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Drug: oxytocin 48IU
intranasal oxytocin (48 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Experimental: oxytocin 24IU, placebo, oxytocin 48IU
intranasal oxytocin (24 international units; 4IU per puff) and intranasal placebo (24 international units; 4IU per puff) once at baseline, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal placebo (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 2, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal oxytocin (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 3, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles
Drug: placebo
intranasal placebo (48 international units)
Drug: oxytocin 24IU
intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) and intranasal placebo (24 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Drug: oxytocin 48IU
intranasal oxytocin (48 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Experimental: oxytocin 48IU, oxytocin 24IU, placebo
intranasal oxytocin (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at baseline, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal oxytocin (24 international units; 4IU per puff) and intranasal placebo (24 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 2, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal placebo (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 3, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles
Drug: placebo
intranasal placebo (48 international units)
Drug: oxytocin 24IU
intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) and intranasal placebo (24 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Drug: oxytocin 48IU
intranasal oxytocin (48 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Experimental: oxytocin 24IU, oxytocin 48IU, placebo
intranasal oxytocin (24 international units; 4IU per puff) and intranasal placebo (24 international units; 4IU per puff) once at baseline, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal oxytocin (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 2, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal placebo (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 3, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles
Drug: placebo
intranasal placebo (48 international units)
Drug: oxytocin 24IU
intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) and intranasal placebo (24 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Drug: oxytocin 48IU
intranasal oxytocin (48 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Experimental: oxytocin 48IU, placebo, oxytocin 24IU
intranasal oxytocin (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at baseline, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal placebo (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 2, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles ; intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) and intranasal placebo (24 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 3, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles
Drug: placebo
intranasal placebo (48 international units)
Drug: oxytocin 24IU
intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) and intranasal placebo (24 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Drug: oxytocin 48IU
intranasal oxytocin (48 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Experimental: placebo, oxytocin 48IU, oxytocin 24IU
intranasal placebo (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at baseline, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal oxytocin (48 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 2, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles; intranasal oxytocin (24 international units; 4IU per puff) and intranasal placebo (24 international units; 4IU per puff) once at time 3, 6 puffs (3 puffs per nostril) from each of 2 bottles
Drug: placebo
intranasal placebo (48 international units)
Drug: oxytocin 24IU
intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) and intranasal placebo (24 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Drug: oxytocin 48IU
intranasal oxytocin (48 international units)
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Eye Contact/Gaze During 10 Minute Social Challenge Task
Time Frame: baseline, week 2, and week 3
Number of times that eye gaze occurred (i.e., participant looked at female experimenter in the eyes) during 10 minute social challenge task (first 5 minutes social proximity, second 5 minutes social interaction). The social challenge task occurred 50 minutes after internasal dose (of placebo, placebo + oxytocin, or oxytocin) at baseline, week 2, and week 3 visits.
baseline, week 2, and week 3

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Salivary Cortisol
Time Frame: baseline, week 2, and week 3
salivary cortisol level measured immediately before social challenge task and 20 minutes following social challenge task at each time point (i.e., baseline, week 2, and week 3)
baseline, week 2, and week 3

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Stanford University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Allan L Reiss, Stanford University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 2, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 3, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 6, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 18, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 16, 2020

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • SU-11182010-7215
  • 8618 (Other Identifier: Stanford University IRB eProtocol)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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