Intranasal Oxytocin May Improve High-Level Social Cognition in Schizophrenia, But Not Social Cognition or Neurocognition in General: A Multilevel Bayesian Meta-analysis.

Bürkner PC, Williams DR, Simmons TC, Woolley JD

Schizophrenia bulletin1 Oct 2017Cited by 59 (Europe PMC)

PMID28586471PMCIDPMC5737621DOI10.1093/schbul/sbx053PepBankPUB-28586471

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 study4

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

01HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome
In a Bayesian meta-analysis of 12 studies in schizophrenia, intranasal oxytocin did not improve social cognition overall.
In plain wordsIn people with schizophrenia, pooled trials found intranasal oxytocin did not improve social cognition overall.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeSocial cognition in schizophrenia
Study
n = 273
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Measurements
standardized mean difference
0.07 SMD
social cognition
Source sentences
Summary
Across a total of 12 studies (N = 273), IN-OT did not improve social cognition (SMD = 0.07, 95% credible interval [CI] = [-0.06, 0.17]) or neurocognition (SMD = 0.12, 95% CI = [-0.12, 0.34]).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
A systematic search of original research publications identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of IN-OT as a treatment for social and neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia for inclusion.
Report a problemFND-2858647101
02HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome
In a Bayesian meta-analysis of 12 studies in schizophrenia, intranasal oxytocin did not improve neurocognition.
In plain wordsIn people with schizophrenia, pooled trials found intranasal oxytocin did not improve non-social thinking skills.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeNeurocognition in schizophrenia
Study
n = 273
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Measurements
standardized mean difference
0.12 SMD
neurocognition
Source sentences
Summary
Across a total of 12 studies (N = 273), IN-OT did not improve social cognition (SMD = 0.07, 95% credible interval [CI] = [-0.06, 0.17]) or neurocognition (SMD = 0.12, 95% CI = [-0.12, 0.34]).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
A systematic search of original research publications identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of IN-OT as a treatment for social and neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia for inclusion.
Report a problemFND-2858647102
03HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome
In schizophrenia, intranasal oxytocin had a significantly larger effect on high-level social cognition (mentalizing and theory of mind) than on low-level social cognition (social cue perception).
In plain wordsIn people with schizophrenia, intranasal oxytocin had a larger effect on high-level social thinking than on basic social cue perception.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseHigh-level versus low-level social cognition
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Low-level social cognition
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Measurements
moderator effect b
0.19 SMD
high-level vs low-level social cognition
Source sentences
Summary
Moderator analyses revealed that IN-OT had a significantly larger effect on high-level social cognition (ie, mentalizing and theory of mind) compared to low-level social cognition (ie, social cue perception) (b = 0.19, 95% CI = [0.05, 0.33]).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
A systematic search of original research publications identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of IN-OT as a treatment for social and neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia for inclusion.
Report a problemFND-2858647103
04HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome
In schizophrenia, intranasal oxytocin had a significant effect on high-level social cognition, but the effect was not robust to sensitivity analyses.
In plain wordsIn people with schizophrenia, intranasal oxytocin improved high-level social thinking in one analysis, but the result did not hold in sensitivity checks.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseHigh-level social cognition in schizophrenia
Study
n: not reported in source
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Measurements
standardized mean difference
0.2 SMD
high-level social cognition
Source sentences
Summary
When restricting our analysis to outcomes for high-level social cognition, there was a significant effect of IN-OT (SMD = 0.20, 95 % CI = [0.05, 0.33]) but the effect was not robust to sensitivity analyses.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
A systematic search of original research publications identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of IN-OT as a treatment for social and neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia for inclusion.
Report a problemFND-2858647104

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

Registered trials1

Trials this study reports on, or that list this study as a reference. Registry data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

1 trial · 1 completed · source ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

CompletedPhase 2NCT06945926

The Effect of Oxytocin Nasal Spray on Preventing Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery

Zhejiang Universityn = 2271 Jun 2025 to 2 Jun 2026

Cervical Spinal Stenosis · Thoracic Spinal Stenosis · Lumbar Spinal Stenosis · Rotator Cuff Injury · Femoral Head Necrosis · Spinal Trauma · Knee Joint Injury

Trial page ClinicalTrials.govUpdated 20 Aug 2026

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
9 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC
Study results updated
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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