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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 20 · 2014

3 results

Oxytocin improves behavioural and neural deficits in inferring others' social emotions in autism.

Aoki Y, Yahata N, Watanabe T, Takano Y, Kawakubo Y, Kuwabara H, Iwashiro N, Natsubori T, Inoue H, Suga M, Takao H, Sasaki H and 4 more

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Gonoi W, Kunimatsu A, Kasai K, Yamasue H

Brain : a journal of neurology22 Aug 2014Cited by 142 (Europe PMC)

PMID25149412 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1093/brain/awu231 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-25149412
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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. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In males with autism spectrum disorder, single-dose intranasal oxytocin increased the correct rate in inferring others' social emotions versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn males with autism, one dose of oxytocin nasal spray improved correct answers about other people's feelings compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseCorrect rate in inferring others' social emotions
    Study

    n = 20

    Comparator
    Placebo
    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
    Behaviourally, oxytocin significantly increased the correct rate in inferring others' social emotions (P = 0.043, one-tail).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Then, to investigate potential effects of oxytocin on these behavioural and neural deficits, we conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover within-subject trial for single-dose intranasal administration of 24 IU oxytocin in an independent group of 20 males with autism spectrum disorder.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In males with autism spectrum disorder, oxytocin enhanced the originally diminished right anterior insula activity during inferring others' social emotions.

    In plain wordsIn males with autism, oxytocin nasal spray raised brain activity in a region used to infer other people's feelings, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseRight anterior insula activity during inferring social emotions
    Study

    n = 20

    Comparator
    Placebo
    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
    At the neural level, the peptide significantly enhanced the originally-diminished brain activity in the right anterior insula during inferring others' social emotions (P = 0.004)
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Then, to investigate potential effects of oxytocin on these behavioural and neural deficits, we conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover within-subject trial for single-dose intranasal administration of 24 IU oxytocin in an independent group of 20 males with autism spectrum disorder.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In males with autism spectrum disorder, oxytocin did not change dorsomedial prefrontal cortex activity during inferring others' beliefs.

    In plain wordsIn males with autism, oxytocin nasal spray did not change brain activity in a region used to infer other people's beliefs.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeDorsomedial prefrontal cortex activity during inferring beliefs
    Study

    n = 20

    Comparator
    Placebo
    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
    but not in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex during inferring others' beliefs (P = 0.858).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Then, to investigate potential effects of oxytocin on these behavioural and neural deficits, we conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover within-subject trial for single-dose intranasal administration of 24 IU oxytocin in an independent group of 20 males with autism spectrum disorder.

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

    11 Oct 2026, 01:30 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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