Year: 1996
Type: article
Abstract: lntranasal Oxytocin in TrichotillomaniaTo the Editor:Administration of oxytocin is reported to increase autogrooming in animals (Kaltwasser and Crawley 1987).It has been suggested that grooming is similar to the repetitive hand-washing and cleaning present in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Importantly, oxytocin is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of OCD patients (Leckman et al 1994).Trichotillomania may also be a pathological correlate of normal grooming.In a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study, we administered intranasal oxytocin (Syntocinon; 160 IU divided into four daily doses) and saline placebo for 1 week each, with a 7-day washout period, to 2 drug-free women with trichotillomania.Behavioral ratings of hair-pulling, mood, anxiety, and memory were obtained after acute (10 min) and chronic (7 days) administration.Symptoms were assessed using the Psychiatric Institute Trichotillomania scale (PITS), which rates the number of sites from which hair is pulled, amount of hair loss, amount of time spent pulling, and level of resistance, interference, and distress (range 0-42) (Winchel et al 1992).Mrs. A., a 30-year-old mother of two, began pulling hair from her head when she was 6 years old and would occasionally eat the pulled hairs.She had an acute, unremitting exacerbation during her first pregnancy.Previous trials of clomipramine and behavior therapy were ineffective.At presentation, two areas around the crown of her head were bald.Mrs. A. reported pulling her hair 2-3 hours daily, having low resistance, and often "zoning out" while hair-pulling.Mrs. B., age 33, developed trichotillomania at age 12.She reported a worsening of symptoms over the past 2 years, with no recognized precipitants.Notably, Mrs. B. had worn a groove between her maxillary central incisors from frequently pulling
Source: Biological Psychiatry
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,489
OpenAlex ID: W2162422997