Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31969977›Full record

Trial reportMolecular autism2020

Behavioral effects of multiple-dose oxytocin treatment in autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with long-term follow-up.

Sylvie Bernaerts, Bart Boets, Guy Bosmans, Jean Steyaert, Kaat Alaerts

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Molecular autism, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the 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
15.0field-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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

50 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 99 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  7. Genetic and epigenetic signatures associated with plasma oxytocin levels in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2023
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  11. Oxytocin induces long-lasting adaptations within amygdala circuitry in autism: a treatment-mechanism study with randomized placebo-controlled design.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2020
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  20. Neuropeptidergic systems in psychiatric disorders.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025
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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

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Sylvie Bernaerts1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-4933-8283
Bart Boets2Leuven Autism Research consortium, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Guy Bosmans4Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Parenting and Special Education Research Group, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32 box 3765, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Jean Steyaert2Leuven Autism Research consortium, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Kaat Alaerts1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
KU Leuven · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Intranasal administration of the "prosocial" neuropeptide oxytocin is increasingly explored as a potential treatment for targeting the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, long-term follow-up studies, evaluating the possibility of long-lasting retention effects, are currently lacking. Methods: Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, this pilot clinical trial explored the possibility of long-lasting behavioral effects of 4 weeks of intranasal oxytocin treatment (24 International Units once daily in the morning) in 40 adult men with ASD. To do so, self-report and informant-based questionnaires assessing core autism symptoms and characterizations of attachment were administered at baseline, immediately after 4 weeks of treatment (approximately 24 h after the last nasal spray administration), and at two follow-up sessions, 4 weeks and 1 year post-treatment. Results: No treatment-specific effects were identified in the primary outcome assessing social symptoms (Social Responsiveness Scale, self- and informant-rated). In particular, with respect to self-reported social responsiveness, improvements were evident both in the oxytocin and in the placebo group, yielding no significant between-group difference ( Conclusions: While no treatment-specific improvements were evident in terms of core social symptoms, the current observations of long-term beneficial effects on repetitive behaviors and feelings of avoidance are promising and suggestive of a therapeutic potential of oxytocin treatment for ASD. However, given the exploratory nature of this pilot study, future studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term effects of OT administration further. Trial registration: The trial was registered with the European Clinical Trial Registry (Eudract 2014-000586-45) on January 22, 2014 (https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2014-000586-45/BE).

Indexed as

Administration, IntranasalAdultAutistic DisorderBehaviorDouble-Blind MethodFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleOxytocinYoung AdultOxytocinAttachmentAutism spectrum disorderOxytocinRepetitive and restricted behaviorSocial responsiveness

Identifiers

PMID31969977
PMCPMC6964112
OpenAlexW3007261060

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.