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Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2016

4 results

Intranasal Oxytocin Enhances Connectivity in the Neural Circuitry Supporting Social Motivation and Social Perception in Children with Autism.

Gordon I, Jack A, Pretzsch CM, Vander Wyk B, Leckman JF, Feldman R, Pelphrey KA

Scientific reports15 Nov 2016Cited by 87 (Europe PMC)

PMID27845765 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC5109935 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/srep35054 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-27845765
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Summary

Oxytocin (OT) has become a focus in investigations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The social deficits that characterize ASD may relate to reduced connectivity between brain sites on the mesolimbic reward pathway (nucleus accumbens; amygdala) that receive OT projections and contribute to social motivation, and cortical sites involved in social perception. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we show that OT administration in ASD increases activity in brain regions important for perceiving social-emotional information. Further, OT enhances connectivity between nodes of the brain's reward and socioemotional processing systems, and does so preferentially for social (versus nonsocial) stimuli. This effect is observed both while viewing coherent versus scrambled biological motion, and while listening to happy versus angry voices. Our findings suggest a mechanism by which intranasal OT may bolster social motivation-one that could, in future, be harnessed to augment behavioral treatments for ASD.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

4 results from studies that gave the peptide. 4 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In children with autism, intranasal oxytocin increased activity in brain regions important for perceiving social-emotional information versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin increased activity in brain areas that process social and emotional information, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseActivity in brain regions for perceiving social-emotional information
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    we show that OT administration in ASD increases activity in brain regions important for perceiving social-emotional information.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we show that OT administration in ASD increases activity in brain regions important for perceiving social-emotional information.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In children with autism, intranasal oxytocin enhanced connectivity between reward and socioemotional brain nodes, preferentially for social versus nonsocial stimuli.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin strengthened links between brain reward and social areas, more so for social than non-social stimuli.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseConnectivity between reward and socioemotional processing systems, social versus nonsocial stimuli
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Further, OT enhances connectivity between nodes of the brain's reward and socioemotional processing systems, and does so preferentially for social (versus nonsocial) stimuli.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we show that OT administration in ASD increases activity in brain regions important for perceiving social-emotional information.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In children with autism, the oxytocin-enhanced brain connectivity was observed while viewing coherent versus scrambled biological motion.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin strengthened brain links while viewing meaningful versus scrambled movement, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseConnectivity during coherent versus scrambled biological motion
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Further, OT enhances connectivity between nodes of the brain's reward and socioemotional processing systems, and does so preferentially for social (versus nonsocial) stimuli. This effect is observed both while viewing coherent versus scrambled biological motion, and while listening to happy versus angry voices.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we show that OT administration in ASD increases activity in brain regions important for perceiving social-emotional information.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In children with autism, the oxytocin-enhanced brain connectivity was observed while listening to happy versus angry voices.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin strengthened brain links while listening to happy versus angry voices, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseConnectivity while listening to happy versus angry voices
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Further, OT enhances connectivity between nodes of the brain's reward and socioemotional processing systems, and does so preferentially for social (versus nonsocial) stimuli. This effect is observed both while viewing coherent versus scrambled biological motion, and while listening to happy versus angry voices.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we show that OT administration in ASD increases activity in brain regions important for perceiving social-emotional information.

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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