Intranasal oxytocin increases respiratory rate and reduces obstructive event duration and oxygen desaturation in obstructive sleep apnea patients: a randomized double blinded placebo controlled study.

Jain V, Kimbro S, Kowalik G, Milojevic I, Maritza Dowling N, Hunley AL, Hauser K, Andrade DC, Del Rio R, Kay MW, Mendelowitz D

Sleep medicine5 Jun 2020Cited by 31 (Europe PMC)

PMID32862007DOI10.1016/j.sleep.2020.05.034PepBankPUB-32862007

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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.

01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, intranasal oxytocin decreased the duration of obstructive events compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn people with obstructive sleep apnea, nasal oxytocin shortened breathing blockages during sleep compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseDuration of obstructive events
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Respiratory function · Respiratory
Studied dose
40 i.u. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Oxytocin significantly decreased the duration of obstructive events, as well as the oxygen desaturations and incidence of bradycardia that were associated with these events.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Two sequential standard "in-lab" polysomnogram (PSG) sleep studies were performed in patients diagnosed with OSA that were randomly assigned to initially receive either placebo or oxytocin (40 i.u.) administered intranasally in this double blinded randomized placebo controlled study.
Report a problemFND-3286200701
02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, intranasal oxytocin decreased the oxygen desaturations associated with obstructive events compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn people with obstructive sleep apnea, nasal oxytocin reduced drops in blood oxygen during breathing blockages compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseOxygen desaturations associated with obstructive events
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Respiratory function · Respiratory
Studied dose
40 i.u. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Oxytocin significantly decreased the duration of obstructive events, as well as the oxygen desaturations and incidence of bradycardia that were associated with these events.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Two sequential standard "in-lab" polysomnogram (PSG) sleep studies were performed in patients diagnosed with OSA that were randomly assigned to initially receive either placebo or oxytocin (40 i.u.) administered intranasally in this double blinded randomized placebo controlled study.
Report a problemFND-3286200702
03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, intranasal oxytocin decreased the incidence of bradycardia associated with obstructive events compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn people with obstructive sleep apnea, nasal oxytocin reduced slow heartbeats during breathing blockages compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseIncidence of bradycardia associated with obstructive events
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Respiratory function · Cardiovascular
Studied dose
40 i.u. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Oxytocin significantly decreased the duration of obstructive events, as well as the oxygen desaturations and incidence of bradycardia that were associated with these events.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Two sequential standard "in-lab" polysomnogram (PSG) sleep studies were performed in patients diagnosed with OSA that were randomly assigned to initially receive either placebo or oxytocin (40 i.u.) administered intranasally in this double blinded randomized placebo controlled study.
Report a problemFND-3286200703
04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, intranasal oxytocin increased respiratory rate during non-obstructive periods compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn people with obstructive sleep apnea, nasal oxytocin raised the breathing rate between blockages compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseRespiratory rate during non-obstructive periods
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Respiratory function · Respiratory
Studied dose
40 i.u. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Notably, oxytocin increased respiratory rate during non-obstructive periods.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Two sequential standard "in-lab" polysomnogram (PSG) sleep studies were performed in patients diagnosed with OSA that were randomly assigned to initially receive either placebo or oxytocin (40 i.u.) administered intranasally in this double blinded randomized placebo controlled study.
Report a problemFND-3286200704
05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, intranasal oxytocin caused no significant changes in sleep architecture compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn people with obstructive sleep apnea, nasal oxytocin did not change the pattern of sleep compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeSleep architecture
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Sleep · Sleep
Studied dose
40 i.u. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
There were no significant changes in sleep architecture and no adverse effects were reported.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Two sequential standard "in-lab" polysomnogram (PSG) sleep studies were performed in patients diagnosed with OSA that were randomly assigned to initially receive either placebo or oxytocin (40 i.u.) administered intranasally in this double blinded randomized placebo controlled study.
Report a problemFND-3286200705
06HumanRandomized controlled trialSafety outcome
In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, no adverse effects were reported with intranasal oxytocin.
In plain wordsIn people with obstructive sleep apnea, no side effects were reported with nasal oxytocin.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeAdverse effects
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Adverse events · Whole body
Studied dose
40 i.u. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
no adverse effects were reported.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Two sequential standard "in-lab" polysomnogram (PSG) sleep studies were performed in patients diagnosed with OSA that were randomly assigned to initially receive either placebo or oxytocin (40 i.u.) administered intranasally in this double blinded randomized placebo controlled study.
Report a problemFND-3286200706

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Registered trials1

Trials this study reports on, or that list this study as a reference. Registry data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

1 trial · 1 completed · 1 with posted results · source ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

CompletedPhase 2Results postedNCT03148899

Impact of Oxytocin on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Induced Changes in Sleep

George Washington Universityn = 3227 Jul 2016 to 7 Jun 2020

Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

Trial page ClinicalTrials.govUpdated 31 Jan 2023

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.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:48 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

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