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Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2013

6 results

Oxytocin and psychotherapy: a pilot study of its physiological, behavioral and subjective effects in males with depression.

MacDonald K, MacDonald TM, Brüne M, Lamb K, Wilson MP, Golshan S, Feifel D

Psychoneuroendocrinology28 Jun 2013Cited by 108 (Europe PMC)

PMID23810433 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.05.014 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-23810433
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
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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: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study6

6 results from studies that gave the peptide. 6 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men with major depressive disorder, intranasal oxytocin increased anxiety over a therapy session versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men with depression, oxytocin increased anxiety during a therapy session compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseAnxiety during therapy session
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    40 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Surprisingly - in contrast to prior reports of OT's anxiolytic properties - we found OT caused an increase in anxiety over the course of the therapy session.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, we gave male psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder 40 IU intranasal OT or placebo before a videotaped session with a therapist and measured a number of subjective, physiological, and behavioral parameters.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men with major depressive disorder, oxytocin had no main effect on cortisol versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men with depression, oxytocin did not change cortisol compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeCortisol
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    40 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    though it had no main effect on cortisol, eye contact, or overall behavior
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, we gave male psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder 40 IU intranasal OT or placebo before a videotaped session with a therapist and measured a number of subjective, physiological, and behavioral parameters.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men with major depressive disorder, oxytocin had no main effect on eye contact versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men with depression, oxytocin did not change eye contact compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeEye contact
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    40 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    though it had no main effect on cortisol, eye contact, or overall behavior
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, we gave male psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder 40 IU intranasal OT or placebo before a videotaped session with a therapist and measured a number of subjective, physiological, and behavioral parameters.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men with major depressive disorder, oxytocin had no main effect on overall behavior versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men with depression, oxytocin did not change overall behavior compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeOverall behavior in therapy session
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    40 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    though it had no main effect on cortisol, eye contact, or overall behavior
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, we gave male psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder 40 IU intranasal OT or placebo before a videotaped session with a therapist and measured a number of subjective, physiological, and behavioral parameters.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men with major depressive disorder, oxytocin decreased nonverbal behaviors that cut off social contact versus placebo, after controlling for depressive symptoms.

    In plain wordsIn men with depression, oxytocin reduced behaviors that shut off social contact compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseNonverbal behaviors that cut off social contact
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    40 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    we did find that OT caused a decrease in nonverbal behaviors that cut off social contact, after controlling for level of depressive symptoms.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, we gave male psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder 40 IU intranasal OT or placebo before a videotaped session with a therapist and measured a number of subjective, physiological, and behavioral parameters.
  6. 06HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men with major depressive disorder, oxytocin improved performance on the reading the mind in the eyes test versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men with depression, oxytocin improved reading of emotions from the eyes compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseSocial cognition (reading the mind in the eyes test)
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Cognition and memory · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    40 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Lastly, we replicated prior findings that OT improves social cognition (performance on the reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET)), albeit in a depressed patient group.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, we gave male psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder 40 IU intranasal OT or placebo before a videotaped session with a therapist and measured a number of subjective, physiological, and behavioral parameters.

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

Registered trials1

Trials this study reports on, or that list this study as a reference. Registry data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

1 trial · 1 completed · 1 with posted results · source ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

CompletedPhase 4Results postedNCT01081249

Effects of Oxytocin on Behavior and Physiology in a Psychotherapy Setting

MacDonald, Kai, M.D.n = 18Dec 2008 to Jul 2012

Behavior · Anxiety

Trial pageClinicalTrials.govUpdated 16 Oct 2014

Version history

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

  1. Version 2Current

    11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:50 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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