Intranasal oxytocin for apathy in people with frontotemporal dementia (FOXY) administered every third day is well tolerated and leads to a modest reduction in apathy, new research has shown. Apathy is a significant and debilitating symptom of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), for which no approved treatments currently exist. Previous research suggested that intranasal oxytocin may improve apathy ratings in the short term, prompting a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, adaptive, crossover, phase 2a/2b trial. Conducted across 11 expert dementia clinics in Canada and the US, the study aimed to evaluate the effects of longer-term oxytocin administration on apathy symptoms.
Participants aged 30–80 years with probable FTD and an apathy score of at least 2 on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory were enrolled. Findings from the trial suggest that intranasal oxytocin, administered intermittently, has potential as a treatment for apathy in FTD. While the observed effects were modest, future studies could explore alternative dosing regimens or more potent formulations to enhance therapeutic outcomes. Given the substantial impact of apathy on quality of life and caregiver burden, continued research into oxytocin and other pharmacological strategies remains a priority for clinical practice. Read the full study results, here:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(24)00456-3/abstract
