Sleep, Oxytocin and Reward Processing in Women in the Postpartum Phase

NCT06711809 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IRTG_P06_2
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

During and after pregnancy, a woman's body and brain undergo significant changes that help her adapt to caregiving and emotional needs. However, this period also makes women more susceptible to emotional disorders, such as peripartum depression (PPD), which affects about 10-15% of new mothers. PPD can negatively impact both the mother and her baby, disrupting mood, motivation, and mothering abilities. Hormonal changes and poor sleep are some of the risk factors that might worsen these depressive symptoms. Traditionally, sleep studies on PPD have relied on questionnaires and short-term sleep assessments. With the advent of smartwatches and digital devices, we can now monitor sleep in a home environment over longer periods. Oxytocin, a hormone crucial for childbirth, breastfeeding, and bonding with the baby, is thought to play a role in PPD. Studies suggest that higher levels of oxytocin might be linked to lower levels of postpartum depression, though findings are not always consistent. Oxytocin also affects sleep and is connected to brain areas that regulate reward and motivation. This study aims to explore the relationship between sleep, oxytocin, and reward processing in new mothers. The investigators will include women with varying levels of depressive symptoms and use home-based sleep assessments to gather data. Our goal is to better understand how these factors interact in the postpartum period and how they might influence a mother's mental health and caregiving abilities. The investigators expect that oxytocin levels are reduced in women with higher depressive symptoms and that these reductions are associated with sleep impairments, breastfeeding and altered reward processing.

Conditions

Postpartum Depression

Keywords

oxytocin; peripartum depression; postpartum depression; sleep; sleep assessment; reward processing; motivation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• objective sleep

  Objective sleep measures assessed with tracking devices (Fitbit Inspire; Withings sleep analyser) e.g., total time spent in bed, wake time, wake frequency, sleep stages duration.

  7 consecutive nights

• subjective sleep

  Subjective sleep assessed by a daily sleep diary.

  7 consecutive days

• oxytocin levels

  Oxytocin levels assessed with saliva kits.

  7 consecutive days

• breastfeeding

  Assessment of breastfeeding behavior (onset, frequency and duration) with breastfeeding diaries.

  7 consecutive days

• bonding

  Bonding of mother and child assessed with questionnaires.

  7 consecutive days

• reward processing/motivation

  Assessment of effort-based motivation using the effort allocation task.

  7 consecutive days

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Research participants will be recruited in the area of Uppsala, Sweden.

You may qualify if:

• Age: 18-40
• Biological sex/gender: female
• Swedish/English fluency
• Postpartum phase: 6 weeks to 1 year

You may not qualify if:

• Age \< 18
• Neonatal complications

Sponsors & Collaborators

• International Research Training Group 2804: lead
• Uppsala University: collaborator
• Uppsala University Hospital: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Uppsala

Uppsala, Sweden, 751 24, Sweden

Location

Biospecimen

Retention: SAMPLES WITHOUT DNA

saliva samples for salivary oxytocin analysis

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression, Postpartum

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Puerperal Disorders; Pregnancy Complications; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases; Depressive Disorder; Mood Disorders; Mental Disorders

Central Study Contacts

Christian Benedict, PhD

CONTACT

+46 18 471 43 30; christian.benedict@farmbio.uu.se

Nina Goll, M. Sc.

CONTACT

+49170 29 88918; nina.goll@uni-tuebingen.de

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 22, 2024
• First Posted: December 2, 2024
• Study Start: January 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Last Updated: December 2, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-11

Locations

SE (1)