The dual neural effects of oxytocin in autistic youth: results from a randomized trial.

Korisky A, Goldstein A, Gordon I

Scientific reports29 Sept 2022Cited by 3 (Europe PMC)

PMID36175473PMCIDPMC9523043DOI10.1038/s41598-022-19524-7PepBankPUB-36175473

Summary

Recent discoveries have highlighted the effects of oxytocin (OT) on social behavior and perception among autistic individuals. However, a gap persists in the literature regarding the potential effects of OT and the neural temporal dynamics due to OT administration. We explored the effect of OT on autistic individuals using magnetoencephalography (MEG), focusing on M100, M170, and M250, social perception-related components that tend to show atypical patterns in autistic individuals. Twenty-five autistic adolescents participated in this randomized, double-blind MEG study. Autistic individuals arrived at the lab twice and received an acute dose of intranasal OT or placebo in each session. During the scans, participants were asked to identify pictures of social and non-social stimuli. Additionally, 23 typically developing (TD) adolescents performed the same task in the MEG as a benchmark that allowed us to better characterize neural regions of interest and behavioral results for this age group in this task. A source-model beamformer analysis revealed that OT enhanced neural activity for social stimuli in frontal regions during M170. Additionally, in each of the preselected time windows, OT increased activation in the left hemisphere, regardless of the content of the presented stimuli. We suggest that OT increased the processing of social stimuli through two separate mechanisms. First, OT increased neural activity in a nonspecific manner, allowing increased allocation of attention toward the stimuli. Second, OT enhanced M170 activity in frontal regions only in response to social stimuli. These results reveal the temporal dynamics of the effects of OT on the early stages of social and non-social perception in autistic adolescents.Trial registration: This study was a part of a project registered as clinical trial October 27th, 2021. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05096676.

CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study2

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. 2 results from people.

01HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism
In autistic adolescents, intranasal oxytocin enhanced frontal neural activity for social stimuli during the M170 component versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn autistic teenagers, oxytocin increased brain activity in frontal regions when they saw social pictures, compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseFrontal neural activity for social stimuli during M170
Study
n = 25
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · acute dose in each sessionAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
A source-model beamformer analysis revealed that OT enhanced neural activity for social stimuli in frontal regions during M170.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Twenty-five autistic adolescents participated in this randomized, double-blind MEG study.
Summary · context
Autistic individuals arrived at the lab twice and received an acute dose of intranasal OT or placebo in each session.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3617547301
02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism
In autistic adolescents, intranasal oxytocin increased left hemisphere activation in each preselected time window, regardless of stimulus content, versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn autistic teenagers, oxytocin raised left-side brain activity for all kinds of pictures, compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseLeft hemisphere activation regardless of stimulus content
Study
n = 25
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · acute dose in each sessionAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Additionally, in each of the preselected time windows, OT increased activation in the left hemisphere, regardless of the content of the presented stimuli.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Twenty-five autistic adolescents participated in this randomized, double-blind MEG study.
Summary · context
Autistic individuals arrived at the lab twice and received an acute dose of intranasal OT or placebo in each session.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3617547302

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 · source ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

CompletedNot applicableNCT05096676

Understanding Oxytocin's Neural and Behavioral Effects in Adolescents Diagnosed With Autism

Prof. Ilanit gordonn = 581 Aug 2016 to 1 Oct 2019

Autism Spectrum Disorder · Oxytocin

Trial page ClinicalTrials.govUpdated 27 Oct 2021

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, 00:50 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:48 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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