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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 61 · 2016

4 results

Do blood plasma levels of oxytocin moderate the effect of nasally administered oxytocin on social orienting in high-functioning male adults with autism spectrum disorder?

Althaus M, Groen Y, A Wijers A, Noltes H, Tucha O, Sweep FC, Calcagnoli F, Hoekstra PJ

Psychopharmacology2 Jun 2016Cited by 21 (Europe PMC)

PMID27256356 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC4917597 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1007/s00213-016-4339-1 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-27256356
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Summary

ObjectiveThe study investigated whether baseline plasma oxytocin (OXT) concentrations might moderate the effects of nasally administered OXT on social orienting.MethodsThirty-one males with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and thirty healthy males participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial. After administration of the compound, participants were viewing pictures from the International Affective Picture System that represented a systematic variation of pleasant, unpleasant and neutral scenes with and without humans. The outcome measures were a cardiac evoked response (ECR) and a cortical evoked long latency parietal positivity (LPP).ResultsMales with ASD had significantly higher plasma baseline levels than the controls. In the absence of general treatment effects, higher baseline concentrations were found to be associated with larger treatment effects, particularly in the group of males with ASD. Higher post-treatment plasma OXT concentrations were found to be associated with smaller treatment effects and larger orienting responses in the placebo situation in the group of controls.ConclusionsWe interpret our findings as suggesting that it is the central availability of OXT determining how much of the nasally administered OXT will become centrally absorbed and how much of it will become released into the bloodstream.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In males with autism spectrum disorder and healthy males, nasal oxytocin showed no general treatment effects on social orienting measures.

    In plain wordsIn men with and without autism, nasal oxytocin had no general effect on responses to pictures compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeGeneral effect of nasal oxytocin on cardiac evoked response and parietal positivity
    Study

    n = 61

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · nasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In the absence of general treatment effects
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    The outcome measures were a cardiac evoked response (ECR) and a cortical evoked long latency parietal positivity (LPP).
    Summary · context
    Thirty-one males with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and thirty healthy males participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    Higher baseline plasma oxytocin concentrations were associated with larger effects of nasal oxytocin, particularly in males with autism spectrum disorder.

    In plain wordsMen with higher natural oxytocin levels in blood before treatment tended to show larger effects of nasal oxytocin, especially men with autism.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableModeration of oxytocin treatment effect by baseline plasma oxytocin
    Study

    n = 61

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · nasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    higher baseline concentrations were found to be associated with larger treatment effects, particularly in the group of males with ASD.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirty-one males with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and thirty healthy males participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy male controls, higher post-treatment plasma oxytocin was associated with smaller treatment effects and larger orienting responses in the placebo situation.

    In plain wordsIn healthy men, higher oxytocin in blood after treatment was linked to smaller treatment effects and larger responses after placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableAssociation of post-treatment plasma oxytocin with treatment effects and orienting in controls
    Study

    n = 30

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · nasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Higher post-treatment plasma OXT concentrations were found to be associated with smaller treatment effects and larger orienting responses in the placebo situation in the group of controls.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirty-one males with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and thirty healthy males participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial.

Natural levels measured1

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.

  1. 04HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In males with autism spectrum disorder, baseline plasma oxytocin concentrations were higher than in healthy male controls.

    In plain wordsMen with autism had higher levels of the body's own oxytocin in blood than healthy men.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseBaseline plasma oxytocin, ASD versus controls
    Study

    n = 61

    Comparator
    Healthy male controls
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Males with ASD had significantly higher plasma baseline levels than the controls.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirty-one males with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and thirty healthy males participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

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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