Oxytocin in response to MDMA provocation test in patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency (central diabetes insipidus): a single-centre, case-control study with nested, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial

A study conducted at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland suggests that patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency (central diabetes insipidus) may also have oxytocin deficiency. Researchers used MDMA (ecstasy) as a provocation test to investigate oxytocin deficiency in these patients. The study involved 15 patients and 15 healthy controls, and the results showed that healthy controls experienced a significant increase in oxytocin levels in response to MDMA, along with prosocial and empathic effects. However, patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency showed minimal increase in oxytocin levels and had fewer subjective effects. These findings indicate the possibility of a new hypothalamic-pituitary disease entity involving oxytocin deficiency in these patients.