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Study · Systematic review · n = 223 · 2018

7 results

Systematic review and meta-analysis of reported adverse events of long-term intranasal oxytocin treatment for autism spectrum disorder.

Cai Q, Feng L, Yap KZ

Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences30 Jan 2018Cited by 49 (Europe PMC)

PMID29232031 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1111/pcn.12627 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-29232031
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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 study7

7 results from studies that gave the peptide. 7 results from people.

  1. 01HumanSystematic reviewSafety outcome

    In a meta-analysis of five randomized trials in autism spectrum disorder, nasal discomfort was a common adverse event of long-term intranasal oxytocin but was not significantly associated with treatment allocation versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people with autism, nasal discomfort was common with intranasal oxytocin but was not linked to oxytocin more than to placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeNasal discomfort
    Study

    n = 223

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Whole body
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Frequency of nasal discomfort
    14.3%
    all participants

    Source sentences

    Summary
    None of these common adverse events was statistically associated with treatment allocation according to meta-analysis using pooled data (all P-values > 0.1).
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Nasal discomfort (14.3%), tiredness (7.2%), irritability (9.0%), diarrhea (4.5%), and skin irritation (4.5%) were the most common adverse events.
    Summary · context
    Of the 223 participants in the five included studies, 123 were given oxytocin and 100 were given placebos.
  2. 02HumanSystematic reviewSafety outcome

    In a meta-analysis of five randomized trials in autism spectrum disorder, tiredness was a common adverse event of long-term intranasal oxytocin but was not significantly associated with treatment allocation versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people with autism, tiredness was common with intranasal oxytocin but was not linked to oxytocin more than to placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeTiredness
    Study

    n = 223

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Whole body
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Frequency of tiredness
    7.2%
    all participants

    Source sentences

    Summary
    None of these common adverse events was statistically associated with treatment allocation according to meta-analysis using pooled data (all P-values > 0.1).
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Nasal discomfort (14.3%), tiredness (7.2%), irritability (9.0%), diarrhea (4.5%), and skin irritation (4.5%) were the most common adverse events.
    Summary · context
    Of the 223 participants in the five included studies, 123 were given oxytocin and 100 were given placebos.
  3. 03HumanSystematic reviewSafety outcome

    In a meta-analysis of five randomized trials in autism spectrum disorder, irritability was a common adverse event of long-term intranasal oxytocin but was not significantly associated with treatment allocation versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people with autism, irritability was common with intranasal oxytocin but was not linked to oxytocin more than to placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeIrritability
    Study

    n = 223

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Whole body
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Frequency of irritability
    9%
    all participants

    Source sentences

    Summary
    None of these common adverse events was statistically associated with treatment allocation according to meta-analysis using pooled data (all P-values > 0.1).
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Nasal discomfort (14.3%), tiredness (7.2%), irritability (9.0%), diarrhea (4.5%), and skin irritation (4.5%) were the most common adverse events.
    Summary · context
    Of the 223 participants in the five included studies, 123 were given oxytocin and 100 were given placebos.
  4. 04HumanSystematic reviewSafety outcome

    In a meta-analysis of five randomized trials in autism spectrum disorder, diarrhea was a common adverse event of long-term intranasal oxytocin but was not significantly associated with treatment allocation versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people with autism, diarrhea was common with intranasal oxytocin but was not linked to oxytocin more than to placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeDiarrhea
    Study

    n = 223

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Whole body
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Frequency of diarrhea
    4.5%
    all participants

    Source sentences

    Summary
    None of these common adverse events was statistically associated with treatment allocation according to meta-analysis using pooled data (all P-values > 0.1).
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Nasal discomfort (14.3%), tiredness (7.2%), irritability (9.0%), diarrhea (4.5%), and skin irritation (4.5%) were the most common adverse events.
    Summary · context
    Of the 223 participants in the five included studies, 123 were given oxytocin and 100 were given placebos.
  5. 05HumanSystematic reviewSafety outcome

    In a meta-analysis of five randomized trials in autism spectrum disorder, skin irritation was a common adverse event of long-term intranasal oxytocin but was not significantly associated with treatment allocation versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people with autism, skin irritation was common with intranasal oxytocin but was not linked to oxytocin more than to placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeSkin irritation
    Study

    n = 223

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Whole body
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Frequency of skin irritation
    4.5%
    all participants

    Source sentences

    Summary
    None of these common adverse events was statistically associated with treatment allocation according to meta-analysis using pooled data (all P-values > 0.1).
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Nasal discomfort (14.3%), tiredness (7.2%), irritability (9.0%), diarrhea (4.5%), and skin irritation (4.5%) were the most common adverse events.
    Summary · context
    Of the 223 participants in the five included studies, 123 were given oxytocin and 100 were given placebos.
  6. 06HumanSystematic reviewSafety outcome

    In a meta-analysis of five randomized trials in autism spectrum disorder, two severe aggression events were reported with intranasal oxytocin and one with placebo (descriptive count, no statistical test).

    In plain wordsIn people with autism, two severe aggression events were reported with oxytocin and one with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedSevere adverse event: aggression
    Study

    n = 223

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Whole body
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Five severe adverse events were reported, namely aggression (one in placebo, two in oxytocin) and seizures (one in placebo, one in oxytocin).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Of the 223 participants in the five included studies, 123 were given oxytocin and 100 were given placebos.
  7. 07HumanSystematic reviewSafety outcome

    In a meta-analysis of five randomized trials in autism spectrum disorder, one seizure event was reported with intranasal oxytocin and one with placebo (descriptive count, no statistical test).

    In plain wordsIn people with autism, one seizure event was reported with oxytocin and one with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedSevere adverse event: seizures
    Study

    n = 223

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Whole body
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Five severe adverse events were reported, namely aggression (one in placebo, two in oxytocin) and seizures (one in placebo, one in oxytocin).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Of the 223 participants in the five included studies, 123 were given oxytocin and 100 were given placebos.

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

    9 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:48 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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