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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 40 · 2019

3 results

Oxytocin Selectively Improves Empathic Accuracy: A Replication in Men and Novel Insights in Women.

Bartz JA, Nitschke JP, Krol SA, Tellier PP

Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging13 Feb 2019Cited by 38 (Europe PMC)

PMID30954442 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.01.014 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-30954442
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 study3

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. 3 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In women, intranasal oxytocin had no effect on empathic accuracy versus placebo, regardless of Autism Spectrum Quotient score.

    In plain wordsIn women, oxytocin had no effect on tracking another person's emotions compared with placebo, whatever their autism-trait score.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeEmpathic accuracy in women
    Study

    n = 40

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Conversely, we found no effect of oxytocin on empathic accuracy for women (regardless of their AQ score).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, we administered 24 IU intranasal oxytocin (and, on a separate occasion, a matching placebo) to 31 men and 40 women and then measured empathic accuracy.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men with higher Autism Spectrum Quotient scores, intranasal oxytocin improved empathic accuracy versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men with higher autism-trait scores, oxytocin improved the ability to track another person's emotions more than placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseEmpathic accuracy in men with higher AQ scores
    Study

    n: not reported in source

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    oxytocin selectively improved empathic accuracy for men who scored higher on the AQ
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, we administered 24 IU intranasal oxytocin (and, on a separate occasion, a matching placebo) to 31 men and 40 women and then measured empathic accuracy.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men with lower Autism Spectrum Quotient scores, intranasal oxytocin did not improve empathic accuracy versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men with lower autism-trait scores, oxytocin did not improve tracking of another person's emotions compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeEmpathic accuracy in men with lower AQ scores
    Study

    n: not reported in source

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    oxytocin did not benefit their lower AQ counterparts.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, we administered 24 IU intranasal oxytocin (and, on a separate occasion, a matching placebo) to 31 men and 40 women and then measured empathic accuracy.

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, 02:48 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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