Skip to content

Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 113 · 2022

2 results

Reduced vagal activity in borderline personality disorder is unaffected by intranasal oxytocin administration, but predicted by the interaction between childhood trauma and attachment insecurity.

Back SN, Schmitz M, Koenig J, Zettl M, Kleindienst N, Herpertz SC, Bertsch K

Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996)11 Mar 2022Cited by 8 (Europe PMC)

PMID35275249 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC9007810 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1007/s00702-022-02482-9 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-35275249
Download PDFPubMedAsk about this study
Jump to 2 results

Summary

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show self-regulatory deficits, associated with reduced heart-rate variability (HRV). However, results on reduced HRV in BPD remain heterogeneous, thus encouraging the search for developmental constructs explaining this heterogeneity. The present study first examined predictors of reduced resting-state HRV in BPD, namely the interaction between self-reported adult attachment insecurity and childhood trauma. Second, we investigated if alterations in resting-state HRV are modified by intranasal oxytocin administration, as oxytocin may enhance HRV and is implicated in the interaction between childhood trauma and disturbed attachment for the pathogenesis of BPD. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 53 unmedicated women with BPD and 60 healthy controls (HC) self-administered either 24 I.U. of oxytocin or placebo and underwent a 4-min electrocardiogram. Our results replicate significantly reduced HRV in women with BPD, explained up to 16% by variations in childhood trauma and attachment insecurity. At high levels of acute attachment insecurity, higher levels of childhood trauma significantly predicted reduced HRV in BPD. However, our results do not support a significant effect of oxytocin on mean HRV, and no interaction effect emerged including childhood trauma and attachment insecurity. Our findings highlight a complex interaction between reduced vagal activity and developmental factors in BPD.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study2

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. 2 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In women with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls, intranasal oxytocin 24 I.U. had no significant effect on mean HRV versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn women with borderline personality disorder and healthy women, oxytocin did not change heart-rate variability compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeMean heart-rate variability (HRV)
    Study

    n = 113

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    24 I.U. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    our results do not support a significant effect of oxytocin on mean HRV, and no interaction effect emerged including childhood trauma and attachment insecurity.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 53 unmedicated women with BPD and 60 healthy controls (HC) self-administered either 24 I.U. of oxytocin or placebo and underwent a 4-min electrocardiogram.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In women with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls, no interaction effect of oxytocin with childhood trauma and attachment insecurity on HRV emerged.

    In plain wordsOxytocin did not change heart-rate variability differently in women with more childhood trauma or attachment insecurity compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeOxytocin interaction with childhood trauma and attachment insecurity on HRV
    Study

    n = 113

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    24 I.U. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    no interaction effect emerged including childhood trauma and attachment insecurity.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 53 unmedicated women with BPD and 60 healthy controls (HC) self-administered either 24 I.U. of oxytocin or placebo and underwent a 4-min electrocardiogram.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    11 Oct 2026, 00:50 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:48 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.