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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 34 · 2021

3 results

Changes in endogenous oxytocin levels after intranasal oxytocin treatment in adult men with autism: An exploratory study with long-term follow-up.

Alaerts K, Steyaert J, Vanaudenaerde B, Wenderoth N, Bernaerts S

European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology10 Dec 2020Cited by 18 (Europe PMC)

PMID33309460 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.11.014 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-33309460
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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 trialPharmacokinetics

    In adult men with autism spectrum disorder, four weeks of intranasal oxytocin increased endogenous salivary oxytocin levels immediately after treatment, but placebo did not.

    In plain wordsIn men with autism, four weeks of nasal oxytocin raised their own saliva oxytocin levels right after treatment, unlike placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseEndogenous salivary oxytocin immediately post-treatment
    Study

    n = 34

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pharmacokinetics · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    24 IU once daily · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Receiving OT intranasally but not placebo reliably increased endogenous salivary levels of OT immediately post-treatment
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with between-subject design, 34 adult men with ASD were either assigned to a four-week treatment of once-daily intranasal OT administrations (24 IU) or placebo.
    Summary · context
    Salivary OT samples were obtained before and after the treatment period as well as at two follow-up sessions, four weeks and one year after cessation of the treatment.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialPharmacokinetics

    In adult men with autism spectrum disorder, intranasal oxytocin increased endogenous salivary oxytocin levels at the follow-up session four weeks after treatment, but placebo did not.

    In plain wordsIn men with autism, nasal oxytocin raised their own saliva oxytocin levels four weeks after treatment ended, unlike placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseEndogenous salivary oxytocin at four-week follow-up
    Study

    n = 34

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pharmacokinetics · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    24 IU once daily · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Receiving OT intranasally but not placebo reliably increased endogenous salivary levels of OT immediately post-treatment and at the follow-up session four weeks post treatment, indicating an interaction between exogenously administered OT and its endogenous production.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with between-subject design, 34 adult men with ASD were either assigned to a four-week treatment of once-daily intranasal OT administrations (24 IU) or placebo.
    Summary · context
    Salivary OT samples were obtained before and after the treatment period as well as at two follow-up sessions, four weeks and one year after cessation of the treatment.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In adult men with autism spectrum disorder given oxytocin, salivary oxytocin increases at the four-week follow-up were most pronounced in individuals with larger behavioral improvements in social symptoms.

    In plain wordsIn men with autism given nasal oxytocin, bigger rises in saliva oxytocin at four weeks went with larger improvements in social symptoms.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableAssociation of salivary oxytocin increase with behavioral improvement in ASD social symptoms
    Study

    n = 34

    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU once daily · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Notably, increases in salivary OT at the four-week follow-up session were most pronounced in individuals with larger behavioral improvements in ASD social symptoms.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with between-subject design, 34 adult men with ASD were either assigned to a four-week treatment of once-daily intranasal OT administrations (24 IU) or placebo.
    Summary · context
    Salivary OT samples were obtained before and after the treatment period as well as at two follow-up sessions, four weeks and one year after cessation of the treatment.

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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