Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30690935›Full record

ReviewClinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology2019

The Role of Intranasal Oxytocin in Anxiety and Depressive Disorders: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Francesca De Cagna, Laura Fusar-Poli, Stefano Damiani, Matteo Rocchetti, Gianluca Giovanna, Alessia Mori, Pierluigi Politi, Natascia Brondino

Registry-linked trialOpen access · diamondAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06364228 (Intranasal Oxytocin Intervention for Caregivers to Persons With Dementia), which is not on this map. Cited by 50 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
50citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
18.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06364228 phase2recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Intranasal Oxytocin Intervention for Caregivers to Persons With Dementia

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of NebraskaRan2026 to 2027Enrolled32ConditionsStressArmsPlacebo, Oxytocin Intranasal Spray 12 International Unit (12IU), Oxytocin Intranasal Spray 24 International Unit (24IU), Functional MRI
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

50 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 117 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Francesca De CagnaDepartment of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Laura Fusar-PoliDepartment of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Stefano DamianiDepartment of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Matteo RocchettiDepartment of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Gianluca GiovannaDepartment of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Alessia MoriDepartment of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Pierluigi PolitiDepartment of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Natascia BrondinoDepartment of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
University of Pavia · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Several studies have demonstrated the neuromodulating function of oxytocin (OT) in response to anxiogenic stimuli as well as its potential role in the pathogenesis of depression. Consequently, intranasal OT (IN-OT) has been proposed as a potential treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders. The present systematic review aimed to summarize the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of IN-OT on anxiety and depressive symptoms. Overall, 15 studies were included, involving patients with social anxiety disorders (7 studies), arachnophobia (1), major depression (3) or post-natal depression (4), and mainly evaluating single-dose administrations of IN-OT. Results showed no significant effects on core symptomatology. Five crossover studies included functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation: one trial showed reduced amygdala hyper-reactivity after IN-OT in subjects with anxiety, while another one showed enhanced connectivity between amygdala and bilateral insula and middle cingulate gyrus after IN-OT in patients but not in healthy controls. More studies are needed to confirm these results. In conclusion, up to date, evidence regarding the potential utility of IN-OT in treating anxiety and depression is still inconclusive. Further RCTs with larger samples and long-term administration of IN-OT are needed to better elucidate its potential efficacy alone or in association with standard care.

Indexed as

AnxietyDepressionFunctional magnetic resonance imagingOxytocinSocial behavior

Identifiers

PMID30690935
PMCPMC6361048
OpenAlexW2911165108

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.