Mitigation of sociocommunicational deficits of autism through oxytocin-induced recovery of medial prefrontal activity: a randomized trial.

Watanabe T, Abe O, Kuwabara H, Yahata N, Takano Y, Iwashiro N, Natsubori T, Aoki Y, Takao H, Kawakubo Y, Kamio Y, Kato N, Miyashita Y, Kasai K, Yamasue H

JAMA psychiatry1 Feb 2014Cited by 148 (Europe PMC)

PMID24352377DOI10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.3181PepBankPUB-24352377

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Summary

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Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study5

5 results from studies that gave the peptide. 5 results from people.

01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In men with autism spectrum disorder, intranasal oxytocin increased the frequency of nonverbal information-based judgments compared with placebo (P = .03).
In plain wordsIn men with autism, oxytocin helped them use nonverbal cues in judgments more often than placebo did.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseFrequency of nonverbal information-based judgments
Study
n = 40
Comparator
Placebo
Analysis
Primary
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
24 IU · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Intranasal oxytocin enabled the participants to make NVJs more frequently (P = .03)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
At the University of Tokyo Hospital, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject-crossover, single-site experimental trial in which intranasal oxytocin and placebo were administered.
Summary · context
A total of 40 highly functioning men with ASD participated and were randomized in the trial.
Report a problemFND-2435237701
02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In men with autism spectrum disorder, intranasal oxytocin shortened the response time for nonverbal judgments compared with placebo (P = .02).
In plain wordsIn men with autism, oxytocin made nonverbal judgments faster than placebo did.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseResponse time for nonverbal information-based judgments
Study
n = 40
Comparator
Placebo
Analysis
Primary
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
24 IU · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
with shorter response time (P = .02)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
At the University of Tokyo Hospital, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject-crossover, single-site experimental trial in which intranasal oxytocin and placebo were administered.
Summary · context
A total of 40 highly functioning men with ASD participated and were randomized in the trial.
Report a problemFND-2435237702
03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism
In men with autism spectrum disorder, intranasal oxytocin increased the originally diminished medial prefrontal cortex activity compared with placebo (P < .001).
In plain wordsIn men with autism, oxytocin raised activity in a brain region that is usually less active during social judgments, compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseMedial prefrontal cortex activity during nonverbal judgments
Study
n = 40
Comparator
Placebo
Analysis
Primary
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
24 IU · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
During the mitigated behavior, oxytocin increased the originally diminished brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (P < .001).
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
At the University of Tokyo Hospital, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject-crossover, single-site experimental trial in which intranasal oxytocin and placebo were administered.
Summary · context
A total of 40 highly functioning men with ASD participated and were randomized in the trial.
Report a problemFND-2435237703
04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism
In men with autism spectrum disorder, intranasal oxytocin enhanced functional coordination in the medial prefrontal cortex compared with placebo (P < .001).
In plain wordsIn men with autism, oxytocin improved how parts of one brain region work together, compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseFunctional coordination in the medial prefrontal cortex
Study
n = 40
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
24 IU · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Moreover, oxytocin enhanced functional coordination in the area (P < .001)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
At the University of Tokyo Hospital, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject-crossover, single-site experimental trial in which intranasal oxytocin and placebo were administered.
Summary · context
A total of 40 highly functioning men with ASD participated and were randomized in the trial.
Report a problemFND-2435237704
05HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism
In men with autism spectrum disorder, the size of the oxytocin-induced neural effects predicted the size of the behavioral effects (P ≤ .01).
In plain wordsIn men with autism, larger brain effects of oxytocin were linked to larger behavior effects.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
Not applicablePrediction of behavioral effects by neural effects
Study
n = 40
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
24 IU · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
and the magnitude of these neural effects was predictive of the behavioral effects (P ≤ .01)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
At the University of Tokyo Hospital, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject-crossover, single-site experimental trial in which intranasal oxytocin and placebo were administered.
Summary · context
A total of 40 highly functioning men with ASD participated and were randomized in the trial.
Report a problemFND-2435237705

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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.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:49 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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