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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 32 · 2017

6 results

Intranasal oxytocin treatment for social deficits and biomarkers of response in children with autism.

Parker KJ, Oztan O, Libove RA, Sumiyoshi RD, Jackson LP, Karhson DS, Summers JE, Hinman KE, Motonaga KS, Phillips JM, Carson DS, Garner JP, Hardan AY

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America10 Jul 2017Cited by 287 (Europe PMC)

PMID28696286 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC5544319 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1073/pnas.1705521114 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-28696286
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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 study6

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In children with autism, 4 weeks of intranasal oxytocin significantly enhanced social abilities on the SRS compared with placebo, when pretreatment neuropeptide measures were in the model.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin improved social abilities more than placebo when natural oxytocin levels before treatment were taken into account.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseSocial Responsiveness Scale (SRS) score
    Study

    n = 32

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Analysis
    Primary
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 International Units, twice daily · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    When pretreatment neuropeptide measures were included in the statistical model, OXT compared with placebo treatment significantly enhanced social abilities in children with ASD [as measured by the trial's primary outcome measure, the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS)].
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, we tested the efficacy and tolerability of 4-wk intranasal OXT treatment (24 International Units, twice daily) in 32 children with ASD, aged 6-12 y.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialSafety outcome

    In children with autism, intranasal oxytocin was well tolerated.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin was well tolerated.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeTolerability
    Study

    n = 32

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 International Units, twice daily · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    OXT was well tolerated
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, we tested the efficacy and tolerability of 4-wk intranasal OXT treatment (24 International Units, twice daily) in 32 children with ASD, aged 6-12 y.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In children with autism, intranasal oxytocin did not decrease repetitive behaviors.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin did not reduce repetitive behaviors.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeRepetitive behaviors
    Study

    n = 32

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 International Units, twice daily · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    its effects were specific to social functioning, with no observed decrease in repetitive behaviors or anxiety.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, we tested the efficacy and tolerability of 4-wk intranasal OXT treatment (24 International Units, twice daily) in 32 children with ASD, aged 6-12 y.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In children with autism, intranasal oxytocin did not decrease anxiety.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin did not reduce anxiety.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeAnxiety
    Study

    n = 32

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 International Units, twice daily · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    its effects were specific to social functioning, with no observed decrease in repetitive behaviors or anxiety.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, we tested the efficacy and tolerability of 4-wk intranasal OXT treatment (24 International Units, twice daily) in 32 children with ASD, aged 6-12 y.

Natural levels measured2

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. 05HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialOther

    In children with autism given oxytocin, lower pretreatment blood oxytocin concentrations predicted greater social improvement.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism given oxytocin, lower natural oxytocin levels before treatment predicted greater social improvement.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreasePretreatment blood OXT as predictor of SRS response
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Importantly, pretreatment blood OXT concentrations also predicted treatment response, such that individuals with the lowest pretreatment OXT concentrations showed the greatest social improvement.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, we tested the efficacy and tolerability of 4-wk intranasal OXT treatment (24 International Units, twice daily) in 32 children with ASD, aged 6-12 y.

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

  2. 06HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In placebo-treated children with autism who improved on the SRS, blood oxytocin concentrations rose after treatment.

    In plain wordsIn placebo-treated children with autism who improved socially, the body's own oxytocin levels in blood rose.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseBlood OXT after treatment in placebo-treated improvers
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Finally, as with many trials, some placebo-treated participants showed improvement on the SRS. This enhanced social functioning was mirrored by a posttreatment increase in their blood OXT concentrations, suggesting that increased endogenous OXT secretion may underlie this improvement.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, we tested the efficacy and tolerability of 4-wk intranasal OXT treatment (24 International Units, twice daily) in 32 children with ASD, aged 6-12 y.

    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.

Registered trials1

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

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

CompletedPhase 2Results postedNCT01624194

Intranasal Oxytocin Treatment for Social Deficits in Children With Autism

Stanford Universityn = 54Jun 2012 to May 2016

Autism

Trial pageClinicalTrials.govUpdated 15 Jul 2019

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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