Oxytocin Pathways and the Health Effects of Human-Animal Interaction

NCT03852264 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: 1808883345
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 55
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study investigates the roles of oxytocin pathways in human-animal interaction.

Conditions

Human-Animal Bond; Human-Animal Interaction

Keywords

Oxytocin; Cortisol; Human-animal interaction

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Salivary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve

  Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).

  baseline, 15 minutes

• Urinary Oxytocin, Area Under the Curve

  Change from baseline measured as the area under the curve with respect to the initial value (AUCi).

  baseline, 50 minutes

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Salivary Cortisol, Area Under the Curve

  baseline, 50 minutes

• Urinary Vasopressin, Area Under the Curve

  baseline, 50 minutes

Study Arms (2)

Pet Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Unfamiliar Dog Interaction

EXPERIMENTAL

Participant's first study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with the participant's pet dog. The second study visit involved 25 minutes of individual play with toys. The third study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with an unfamiliar dog.

Behavioral: Pet dog; Behavioral: Unfamiliar dog; Behavioral: Nonsocial control

Unfamiliar Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Pet Dog Interaction

EXPERIMENTAL

Participant's first study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with an unfamiliar dog. The second study visit involved 25 minutes of individual play with toys. The third study visit involved 25 minutes of interaction with the participant's pet dog.

Behavioral: Pet dog; Behavioral: Unfamiliar dog; Behavioral: Nonsocial control

Interventions

Pet dog BEHAVIORAL

Children will interact freely with their pet dog for 25 minutes.

Pet Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Unfamiliar Dog Interaction; Unfamiliar Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Pet Dog Interaction

Unfamiliar dog BEHAVIORAL

Children will interact freely with an unfamiliar dog for 25 minutes

Pet Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Unfamiliar Dog Interaction; Unfamiliar Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Pet Dog Interaction

Nonsocial control BEHAVIORAL

Children will play with age-appropriate toys/games for 25 minutes.

Pet Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Unfamiliar Dog Interaction; Unfamiliar Dog Interaction first, then Nonsocial Control, then Pet Dog Interaction

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 8 Years - 10 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Participants in this study will include typically-developing children between 8-10 years who have lived with a companion dog in the household for at least 6 months.

You may not qualify if:

• known medical diseases or injuries involving the central nervous or endocrine systems, major physical abnormalities, seizures, and significant sensory, cognitive, or motor impairments, current use of psychoactive medications

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Arizona: lead
• University of Virginia: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona, 85721, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Human-Animal Bond; Human-Animal Interaction

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Evan MacLean
• Organization: University of Arizona

evanmaclean@arizona.edu

520-621-0386

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Personnel analyzing hormones will be blinded to the experimental condition samples were collected from.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Within-subjects, 3 conditions, 2 condition orders balanced across participants

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 19, 2019
• First Posted: February 25, 2019
• Study Start: March 8, 2019
• Primary Completion: January 10, 2022
• Study Completion: January 10, 2022
• Last Updated: November 12, 2024
• Results First Posted: November 12, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)