Plasma oxytocin levels in autistic children.

Modahl C, Green L, Fein D, Morris M, Waterhouse L, Feinstein C, Levin H

Biological psychiatry1 Feb 1998Cited by 491 (Europe PMC)

PMID9513736DOI10.1016/s0006-3223(97)00439-3PepBankPUB-09513736

Publisher page PubMedAsk about this study

Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: CC BY-NC-ND. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study6

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Natural levels measured6

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

01HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In prepubertal children, autistic children had significantly lower plasma oxytocin levels than normal children.
In plain wordsIn children, those with autism had lower natural oxytocin levels in blood than children without autism.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreasePlasma oxytocin in autistic versus normal children
Study
n = 59
Comparator
Age-matched normal children
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
Source sentences
Summary
Despite individual variability and overlapping group distributions, the autistic group had significantly lower plasma OT levels than the normal group.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
To determine whether autistic children have abnormalities in OT, midday plasma samples from 29 autistic and 30 age-matched normal children, all prepubertal, were analyzed by radioimmunoassay for levels of OT.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0951373601
02HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In normal prepubertal children, plasma oxytocin increased with age.
In plain wordsIn children without autism, natural oxytocin levels were higher at older ages.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseOxytocin change with age in normal children
Study
n = 30
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
Source sentences
Summary
OT increased with age in the normal but not the autistic children.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
To determine whether autistic children have abnormalities in OT, midday plasma samples from 29 autistic and 30 age-matched normal children, all prepubertal, were analyzed by radioimmunoassay for levels of OT.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0951373602
03HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In normal prepubertal children, higher plasma oxytocin was associated with higher scores on social and developmental measures.
In plain wordsIn children without autism, higher natural oxytocin was linked to higher social and developmental scores.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseOxytocin and social scores in normal children
Study
n = 30
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
Source sentences
Summary
Elevated OT was associated with higher scores on social and developmental measures for the normal children
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
To determine whether autistic children have abnormalities in OT, midday plasma samples from 29 autistic and 30 age-matched normal children, all prepubertal, were analyzed by radioimmunoassay for levels of OT.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0951373604
04HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In autistic prepubertal children, plasma oxytocin did not increase with age.
In plain wordsIn children with autism, natural oxytocin levels were not higher at older ages.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeOxytocin change with age in autistic children
Study
n = 29
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
Source sentences
Summary
OT increased with age in the normal but not the autistic children.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
To determine whether autistic children have abnormalities in OT, midday plasma samples from 29 autistic and 30 age-matched normal children, all prepubertal, were analyzed by radioimmunoassay for levels of OT.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0951373603
05HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In autistic prepubertal children, higher plasma oxytocin was associated with lower scores on social and developmental measures.
In plain wordsIn children with autism, higher natural oxytocin was linked to lower social and developmental scores.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseOxytocin and social scores in autistic children
Study
n = 29
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
Source sentences
Summary
but was associated with lower scores for the autistic children.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
To determine whether autistic children have abnormalities in OT, midday plasma samples from 29 autistic and 30 age-matched normal children, all prepubertal, were analyzed by radioimmunoassay for levels of OT.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0951373605
06HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In autistic children, the relationships between plasma oxytocin and social measures were strongest in the subset identified as aloof.
In plain wordsIn children with autism, the link between natural oxytocin and social scores was strongest in the group described as aloof.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
Not applicableStrength of oxytocin-score relationships in aloof autistic children
Study
n: not reported in source
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
Source sentences
Summary
These relationships were strongest in a subset of autistic children identified as aloof.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
To determine whether autistic children have abnormalities in OT, midday plasma samples from 29 autistic and 30 age-matched normal children, all prepubertal, were analyzed by radioimmunoassay for levels of OT.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0951373606

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

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

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 20:03 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:52 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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