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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 40 · 2020

4 results

Oxytocin biases eye-gaze to dynamic and static social images and the eyes of fearful faces: associations with trait autism.

Le J, Kou J, Zhao W, Fu M, Zhang Y, Becker B, Kendrick KM

Translational psychiatry12 May 2020Cited by 18 (Europe PMC)

PMID32398642 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC7217872 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/s41398-020-0830-x (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-32398642
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Summary

A key functional effect of intranasal oxytocin with potential therapeutic relevance for autism-spectrum disorder is its reported facilitation of attention towards social stimuli, notably the eye region of faces. In the current randomized placebo-controlled within-subject experiment on 40 healthy males, we investigated the robustness of this facilitation of attention by intranasal oxytocin (24IU) towards social cues. Eye-tracking measures of preference for dynamic and static social vs. non-social stimuli were taken in four different paradigms where autistic individuals tend to exhibit reduced interest in social stimuli. Additionally, we investigated whether oxytocin increases attention towards the eyes relative to other salient face regions in an emotional face paradigm. Results showed that the time spent viewing both dynamic and static social vs. non-social stimuli was negatively associated with trait autism and significantly increased following intranasal oxytocin. For face stimuli, oxytocin primarily increased gaze towards the eyes of fearful expression faces but not for other face emotions. Overall, our findings demonstrate that oxytocin significantly shifts gaze preference towards social vs. non-social stimuli and to the eyes of fearful faces. Importantly, oxytocin appears generally to shift attention more towards salient social stimuli of particular relevance in the context of autism providing further support for its potential therapeutic use in autism-spectrum disorder.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy males, intranasal oxytocin significantly increased the time spent viewing dynamic social versus non-social stimuli.

    In plain wordsIn healthy men, oxytocin increased the time spent looking at moving social images rather than non-social images, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseViewing time of dynamic social versus non-social stimuli
    Study

    n = 40

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Results showed that the time spent viewing both dynamic and static social vs. non-social stimuli was negatively associated with trait autism and significantly increased following intranasal oxytocin.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In the current randomized placebo-controlled within-subject experiment on 40 healthy males, we investigated the robustness of this facilitation of attention by intranasal oxytocin (24IU) towards social cues.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy males, intranasal oxytocin significantly increased the time spent viewing static social versus non-social stimuli.

    In plain wordsIn healthy men, oxytocin increased the time spent looking at still social images rather than non-social images, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseViewing time of static social versus non-social stimuli
    Study

    n = 40

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Results showed that the time spent viewing both dynamic and static social vs. non-social stimuli was negatively associated with trait autism and significantly increased following intranasal oxytocin.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In the current randomized placebo-controlled within-subject experiment on 40 healthy males, we investigated the robustness of this facilitation of attention by intranasal oxytocin (24IU) towards social cues.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy males, intranasal oxytocin primarily increased gaze towards the eyes of fearful expression faces.

    In plain wordsIn healthy men, oxytocin increased looking at the eyes of fearful faces compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseGaze towards the eyes of fearful faces
    Study

    n = 40

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    For face stimuli, oxytocin primarily increased gaze towards the eyes of fearful expression faces but not for other face emotions.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In the current randomized placebo-controlled within-subject experiment on 40 healthy males, we investigated the robustness of this facilitation of attention by intranasal oxytocin (24IU) towards social cues.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy males, intranasal oxytocin did not increase gaze towards the eyes for face emotions other than fear.

    In plain wordsIn healthy men, oxytocin did not increase looking at the eyes of faces showing emotions other than fear.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeGaze towards the eyes of faces with other emotions
    Study

    n = 40

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    For face stimuli, oxytocin primarily increased gaze towards the eyes of fearful expression faces but not for other face emotions.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In the current randomized placebo-controlled within-subject experiment on 40 healthy males, we investigated the robustness of this facilitation of attention by intranasal oxytocin (24IU) towards social cues.

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, 02:48 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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