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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 23 · 2021

5 results

Intranasal oxytocin versus placebo for hyperphagia and repetitive behaviors in children with Prader-Willi Syndrome: A randomized controlled pilot trial.

Hollander E, Levine KG, Ferretti CJ, Freeman K, Doernberg E, Desilva N, Taylor BP

Journal of psychiatric research4 Nov 2020Cited by 39 (Europe PMC)

PMID33190843 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.11.006 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-33190843
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 study5

5 results from studies that gave the peptide. 5 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome, intranasal oxytocin did not reduce hyperphagia, while placebo did (average reduction of 1.81 points/week on total HQ score for placebo versus oxytocin).

    In plain wordsIn children with Prader-Willi syndrome, nasal oxytocin did not reduce excessive hunger, while placebo did slightly.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeTotal Hyperphagia Questionnaire (HQ) score
    Study

    n = 23

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Appetite and food intake · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 8 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Total HQ score average weekly reduction, placebo versus oxytocin
    1.81 points/week
    placebo vs oxytocin

    Source sentences

    Summary
    There were modest significant treatment by-time interactions indicating reduction in hyperphagia and repetitive behaviors across time for placebo but no reduction for oxytocin. Total HQ score showed a greater average reduction of 1.81 points/week for the placebo group vs. oxytocin, with maximum reduction at week 4.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Children and adolescents with PWS were enrolled in an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled intranasal oxytocin randomized trial.
    Summary · context
    Twenty-three (23) subjects were assigned to oxytocin (N = 11) or placebo (N = 12).
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome, HQ-Drive and HQ-Behavior scores fell more on placebo than on oxytocin, so oxytocin did not reduce them.

    In plain wordsIn children with Prader-Willi syndrome, hunger drive and behavior scores improved more with placebo than with nasal oxytocin.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeHQ-Drive and HQ-Behavior subscales
    Study

    n = 23

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Appetite and food intake · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 8 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    There were also greater reductions on HQ-Drive and HQ-Behavior subscales on placebo vs. oxytocin.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Children and adolescents with PWS were enrolled in an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled intranasal oxytocin randomized trial.
    Summary · context
    Twenty-three (23) subjects were assigned to oxytocin (N = 11) or placebo (N = 12).
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome, repetitive behaviors were reduced across time with placebo but not with intranasal oxytocin.

    In plain wordsIn children with Prader-Willi syndrome, repetitive behaviors dropped with placebo but not with nasal oxytocin.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeRepetitive behaviors (RBS-R) over time
    Study

    n = 23

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 8 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    There were modest significant treatment by-time interactions indicating reduction in hyperphagia and repetitive behaviors across time for placebo but no reduction for oxytocin.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Children and adolescents with PWS were enrolled in an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled intranasal oxytocin randomized trial.
    Summary · context
    Twenty-three (23) subjects were assigned to oxytocin (N = 11) or placebo (N = 12).
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome, sameness behaviors fell significantly more in the placebo group than in the oxytocin group (average 0.825 points/week).

    In plain wordsIn children with Prader-Willi syndrome, sameness behaviors dropped more with placebo than with nasal oxytocin.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeRBS-R sameness subscale
    Study

    n = 23

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 8 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    RBS-R sameness average weekly reduction
    0.825 points/week
    placebo vs oxytocin

    Source sentences

    Summary
    RBS-R subscales followed similar patterns to the HQ, with a significantly greater reduction in sameness subscale behaviors (average 0.825 points/week) in the placebo group compared to the oxytocin group.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Children and adolescents with PWS were enrolled in an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled intranasal oxytocin randomized trial.
    Summary · context
    Twenty-three (23) subjects were assigned to oxytocin (N = 11) or placebo (N = 12).
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialSafety outcome

    In children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome, nocturia was the only adverse event both more common and possibly related to oxytocin versus placebo (n = 1 versus 0); oxytocin was well tolerated.

    In plain wordsIn children with Prader-Willi syndrome, nasal oxytocin was well tolerated. One child had night-time urination versus none with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseNocturia
    Study

    n = 23

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Whole body
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 8 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Nocturia cases
    1 n
    oxytocin

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin was well tolerated, and the only adverse event that was both more common and possibly related to oxytocin vs. placebo was nocturia (n = 1 vs 0).
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Children and adolescents with PWS were enrolled in an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled intranasal oxytocin randomized trial.
    Summary · context
    Twenty-three (23) subjects were assigned to oxytocin (N = 11) or placebo (N = 12).

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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