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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 57 · 2023

4 results

At the Head and Heart of Oxytocin's Stress-Regulatory Neural and Cardiac Effects: A Chronic Administration RCT in Children with Autism.

Alaerts K, Daniels N, Moerkerke M, Evenepoel M, Tang T, Van der Donck S, Chubar V, Claes S, Steyaert J, Boets B, Prinsen J

Psychotherapy and psychosomatics11 Oct 2023Cited by 16 (Europe PMC)

PMID37820592 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1159/000534114 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-37820592
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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 study4

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In children with autism, a 4-week course of intranasal oxytocin significantly reduced intrinsic amygdala-orbitofrontal connectivity, particularly at the 4-week follow-up.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, 4 weeks of nasal oxytocin reduced connectivity between the amygdala and orbitofrontal brain regions, most clearly at follow-up.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAmygdala-orbitofrontal functional connectivity
    Study

    n = 57

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Neuroprotection · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Significant reductions in intrinsic amygdala-orbitofrontal connectivity were observed, particularly at the 4-week follow-up session.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Fifty-seven children with autism aged 8-12 years (45 boys, 12 girls) participated in a double-blind, randomized pharmaco-neuroimaging trial involving twice-daily administrations of intranasal oxytocin or placebo.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In children with autism given intranasal oxytocin, reductions in amygdala-orbitofrontal connectivity were correlated with improved social symptoms.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism given nasal oxytocin, larger connectivity reductions were linked to improved social symptoms.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableLink between connectivity reduction and social symptoms
    Study

    n = 57

    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    These reductions were correlated with improved social symptoms and lower cardiac autonomic arousal.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Fifty-seven children with autism aged 8-12 years (45 boys, 12 girls) participated in a double-blind, randomized pharmaco-neuroimaging trial involving twice-daily administrations of intranasal oxytocin or placebo.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In children with autism given intranasal oxytocin, reductions in amygdala-orbitofrontal connectivity were correlated with lower cardiac autonomic arousal.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism given nasal oxytocin, larger connectivity reductions were linked to lower cardiac autonomic arousal.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableLink between connectivity reduction and cardiac autonomic arousal
    Study

    n = 57

    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    These reductions were correlated with improved social symptoms and lower cardiac autonomic arousal
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Fifty-seven children with autism aged 8-12 years (45 boys, 12 girls) participated in a double-blind, randomized pharmaco-neuroimaging trial involving twice-daily administrations of intranasal oxytocin or placebo.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In children with autism, the neural and cardiac autonomic effects of oxytocin were modulated by epigenetic modifications of the oxytocin receptor gene, and were more pronounced with reduced methylation.

    In plain wordsIn children with autism, oxytocin effects on the brain and heart were stronger in children with lower oxytocin receptor gene methylation.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableModeration of neural and cardiac effects by oxytocin receptor gene methylation
    Study

    n = 57

    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · 4 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Further, oxytocin's neural and cardiac autonomic effects were modulated by epigenetic modifications of the oxytocin receptor gene.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    The effects were more pronounced in children with reduced epigenetic methylation, signifying heightened expression of the oxytocin receptor.
    Summary · context
    Fifty-seven children with autism aged 8-12 years (45 boys, 12 girls) participated in a double-blind, randomized pharmaco-neuroimaging trial involving twice-daily administrations of intranasal oxytocin or placebo.

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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