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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 120 · 2018

6 results

Intranasal oxytocin does not reduce age-related difficulties in social cognition.

Grainger SA, Henry JD, Steinvik HR, Vanman EJ, Rendell PG, Labuschagne I

Hormones and behavior7 Feb 2018Cited by 25 (Europe PMC)

PMID29408521 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.01.009 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-29408521
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
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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

6 results from studies that gave the peptide. 6 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In 59 older and 61 younger adults, intranasal oxytocin provided no overall age-related benefit on social cognitive abilities versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn older and younger adults, oxytocin nasal spray gave no overall age-related benefit for social thinking compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeOverall age-related benefit on social cognitive abilities
    Study

    n = 120

    Comparator
    Placebo spray
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    iOT provided no overall age-related benefit on social cognitive abilities
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, we tested the effect of iOT (24 IU) versus a placebo spray on 59 older and 61 younger adults' social cognitive abilities and visual attention using a double-blind placebo-controlled within-groups design.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In older and younger adults, intranasal oxytocin improved ToM ability in both age-groups when the task had minimal contextual information.

    In plain wordsIn older and younger adults, oxytocin nasal spray improved understanding of others' thoughts when the task gave little context.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseTheory of mind (ToM) ability, minimal contextual information
    Study

    n = 120

    Comparator
    Placebo spray
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    iOT improved ToM ability in both age-groups when the task had minimal contextual information
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, we tested the effect of iOT (24 IU) versus a placebo spray on 59 older and 61 younger adults' social cognitive abilities and visual attention using a double-blind placebo-controlled within-groups design.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In older and younger adults, intranasal oxytocin did not improve ToM ability when the task had enriched contextual information.

    In plain wordsIn older and younger adults, oxytocin nasal spray did not improve understanding of others' thoughts when the task gave rich context.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeTheory of mind (ToM) ability, enriched contextual information
    Study

    n = 120

    Comparator
    Placebo spray
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    but not when the task had enriched contextual information.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, we tested the effect of iOT (24 IU) versus a placebo spray on 59 older and 61 younger adults' social cognitive abilities and visual attention using a double-blind placebo-controlled within-groups design.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In males of both age-groups, intranasal oxytocin reduced gazing to the social aspects of the scenes (faces and bodies) in the ToM task with minimal context.

    In plain wordsIn males, oxytocin nasal spray reduced looking at faces and bodies in a task with little context.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseGaze to social aspects of scenes, males
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo spray
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    For males in both age-groups, iOT reduced gazing to the social aspects of the scenes
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, we tested the effect of iOT (24 IU) versus a placebo spray on 59 older and 61 younger adults' social cognitive abilities and visual attention using a double-blind placebo-controlled within-groups design.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In females, intranasal oxytocin eliminated the age differences in gaze patterns that were seen in the placebo condition.

    In plain wordsIn females, oxytocin nasal spray removed the age differences in where people looked that were seen with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableAge differences in gaze patterns, females
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo spray
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    for females, iOT eliminated age differences in gaze patterns that were observed in the placebo condition.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, we tested the effect of iOT (24 IU) versus a placebo spray on 59 older and 61 younger adults' social cognitive abilities and visual attention using a double-blind placebo-controlled within-groups design.
  6. 06HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    The effects of intranasal oxytocin on eye-gaze were not observed in the very similar ToM task with more enriched contextual information.

    In plain wordsThe gaze effects of oxytocin nasal spray did not appear in the similar task that gave richer context.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeEye-gaze effects in the enriched-context ToM task
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo spray
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    These effects on eye-gaze were not observed in a very similar ToM task that included more enriched contextual information.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, we tested the effect of iOT (24 IU) versus a placebo spray on 59 older and 61 younger adults' social cognitive abilities and visual attention using a double-blind placebo-controlled within-groups design.

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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