Mirjam van Zuiden

Boosting the oxytocin system in acute trauma and PTSD

This project consists of several studies in which effects of boosting the oxytocin system in acutely traumatized individuals and patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are investigated. Exogenous oxytocin will be administred intranasally and endogenous oxytocin release will be stimulated via a social support intervention. We will investigate whether administering oxytocin in acutely traumatized individuals prevents the development of PTSD and otter stress-related psychopathology. In addition, acute effects of boosting the oxytocin system in acutely traumatized individuals and PTSD patients will be investigated using fMRI.