Osteoarthritis (OA) represents a significant cause of disability worldwide in individuals aged 65 and older, a rapidly growing segment of our population. The knee is the most commonly affected joint with pain being the primary symptom, negatively impacting physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning. Symptomatic knee OA has been traditionally attributed to peripheral mechanisms, but measures of joint damage only modestly account for the presence or severity of OA-related pain. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been recognized as a mediator of endogenous analgesia in animal and human studies. However, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying OT's pain-relieving properties.~This study will test the efficacy and safety of self-administered intranasal OT over 4-weeks in older individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Relative to placebo (P), daily administration of intranasal OT diminished self-reported pain, physical and emotional functioning and changes in brain metabolite concentrations. With strong support from the University of Florida and the McKnight Brain Institute, this interdisciplinary project, using a comprehensive multi-methods approach, will be the first to determine the potential benefit of OT as a novel analgesic therapy for knee OA pain in aging.
Osteoarthritis (OA) represents a significant cause of disability worldwide and the knee is the most commonly affected joint. Oxytocin (OT) is a mediator of endogenous analgesia in animal and human studies. This proposal will test the efficacy and safety of self-administered intranasal OT over 4-weeks in older individuals relative to placebo (P) evaluating its effects on pain and function in aging and testing potential underlying neurobiological mechanisms.