Intranasal Oxytocin Intervention for Caregivers to Persons With Dementia

More than 15 million family caregivers provide support for individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or related dementias. This number is expected to grow with the increasing population of persons with dementia (PWD). Stress in caregivers to older adults with chronic diseases is already a significant public health issue because it is associated with multiple negative physical and mental health outcomes for the caregiver (e.g., depression, cardiovascular disease) and can negatively impact the health of the PWD as well. Importantly, stress levels are even higher in female than male caregivers and in caregivers to a PWD than other chronic conditions that affect older adults. One promising candidate to reduce stress and improve quality of life is the endogenous neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT). Intranasal OXT interventions have been shown to successfully reduce stress and increase quality of life in other populations, including patients with borderline personality disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety Disorder, and Depressive Disorder. However, currently there is no comprehensive study examining its role in the caregivers to chronic medical/psychiatric illnesses including dementia for potential beneficial impact as well as reducing chronic stress levels. Eligible females who are family caregivers to a PWD for a least five hours a week for six consecutive months will be randomly enrolled to one of three groups: 12 IU intranasal oxytocin, 24 IU intranasal oxytocin or placebo. The study drug will be administered daily for 21 days. Surveys and questionnaires that evaluate mental and emotional health and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be administered before and after the study treatment to see if oxytocin will help improve quality of life better and lower stress levels in caregivers to people who have dementia. Additionally, the study will find out if the brain responds to oxytocin.