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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 38 · 2020

3 results

Oxytocin induces long-lasting adaptations within amygdala circuitry in autism: a treatment-mechanism study with randomized placebo-controlled design.

Alaerts K, Bernaerts S, Prinsen J, Dillen C, Steyaert J, Wenderoth N

Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology11 Mar 2020Cited by 29 (Europe PMC)

PMID32161366 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC7234999 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/s41386-020-0653-8 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-32161366
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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 trialMechanism

    In adult men with autism, 4 weeks of daily intranasal oxytocin significantly altered amygdala functional connectivity to social brain regions up to 4 weeks and 1 year post treatment.

    In plain wordsIn adult men with autism, a month of daily oxytocin changed amygdala connectivity to social brain regions compared with placebo, up to 1 year later.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedResting-state functional connectivity of the amygdala to social brain regions
    Study

    n = 38

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU/day · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    4 weeks of daily oxytocin administration (24 IU/day) significantly altered intrinsic (resting-state fMRI) functional connectivity of the amygdala to core regions of the "social brain" (particularly orbitofrontal cortex and superior temporal sulcus) up to 4 weeks and 1 year post treatment.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In adult men with autism, oxytocin-related adaptations in amygdala-orbitofrontal coupling were associated with reduced feelings of avoidance toward others.

    In plain wordsIn adult men with autism, oxytocin-related brain changes were linked to reduced feelings of avoidance toward others.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAssociation of amygdala-orbitofrontal coupling with feelings of avoidance
    Study

    n = 38

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU/day · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The neural adaptations in functional coupling of the amygdala to the orbitofrontal cortex were associated with reduced feelings of avoidance toward others
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, between-subject design (including 38 adult men with ASD)
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In adult men with autism, oxytocin-related adaptations in amygdala-orbitofrontal coupling were associated with reduced repetitive behaviors only at the trend level.

    In plain wordsIn adult men with autism, oxytocin-related brain changes showed only a trend toward a link with fewer repetitive behaviors.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeAssociation of amygdala-orbitofrontal coupling with repetitive behaviors
    Study

    n = 38

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU/day · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The neural adaptations in functional coupling of the amygdala to the orbitofrontal cortex
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    at the trend level-reduced repetitive behaviors.
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, between-subject design (including 38 adult men with ASD)

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, 00:50 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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