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Study · Systematic review · n = 675 · 2014

3 results

A meta-analytic review of the impact of intranasal oxytocin administration on cortisol concentrations during laboratory tasks: moderation by method and mental health.

Cardoso C, Kingdon D, Ellenbogen MA

Psychoneuroendocrinology22 Jul 2014Cited by 120 (Europe PMC)

PMID25086828 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.07.014 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-25086828
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 study3

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. 3 results from people.

  1. 01HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome

    Overall, intranasal oxytocin did not significantly change the cortisol response to laboratory tasks versus placebo.

    In plain wordsOverall, intranasal oxytocin did not significantly change the cortisol response to laboratory tasks compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeCortisol response to laboratory tasks, overall
    Study

    n = 675

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Hedges g
    −0.151 g
    overall effect

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The overall effect size estimate was modest and not statistically significant (Hedges g=-0.151, p=0.11) with moderate heterogeneity in this effect across studies (I(2)=31%).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The search yielded eighteen studies employing a randomized, placebo-controlled design (k=18, N=675).
  2. 02HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome

    Intranasal oxytocin lowered the cortisol response more in challenging laboratory tasks that strongly stimulated the HPA axis than in other tasks.

    In plain wordsIntranasal oxytocin lowered the cortisol response more in stressful laboratory tasks than in less stressful tasks, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseCortisol response in challenging laboratory tasks
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Hedges g
    −0.433 g
    challenging tasks

    Source sentences

    Summary
    this effect was larger in response to challenging laboratory tasks that produced a robust stimulation of the HPA-axis (Hedges g=-0.433, 95% CI[-0.841, -0.025])
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The search yielded eighteen studies employing a randomized, placebo-controlled design (k=18, N=675).
  3. 03HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome

    Intranasal oxytocin lowered the cortisol response more in clinical populations than in healthy controls.

    In plain wordsIntranasal oxytocin lowered the cortisol response more in people with a mental disorder than in healthy people, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseCortisol response in clinical populations
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Hedges g
    −0.742 g
    clinical populations

    Source sentences

    Summary
    and in clinical populations relative to healthy controls (Hedges g=-0.742, 95% CI[-1.405, -0.078])
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The search yielded eighteen studies employing a randomized, placebo-controlled design (k=18, N=675).

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

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

    9 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:49 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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