OXT treatment had no effect on cue-induced cocaine craving (Lee et al., 2014). In contrast, Hansson et al., (2018) showed that intranasal OXT reduced cue reactivity in male heavy drinkers in the insula, prefrontal and limbic regions. These results were supported by a recent study by Joseph et al., (2019) which demonstrated reduced cue reactivity in male and female cocaine users in dorsal medial PFC. Interestingly, male cocaine users with a history of childhood trauma also showed reduced cue reactivity in the amygdala on OXT, though this effect was not present in females (Joseph et al., 2019). In heroin-dependent men, intranasal administration of OXT reduced craving and withdrawal scores but did not significantly impact measures of anxiety (Moeini et al., 2019). The single dose of IN OXT also had a positive effect on stress-related hormone levels, reducing serum cortisol level and cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) ratio following cue-induced craving task during abstinence compared to control patients (Moeini et al., 2019). Similarly, in patients with a dual diagnosis of PTSD and AUD, IN OXT attenuated cortisol reactivity in response to a stress provocation (Flanagan et al., 2018). Further, IN OXT treatment decreased alcohol withdrawal symptoms in treatment-seeking patients compared to placebo and
