Effects of oxytocin administration on salivary sex hormone levels in autistic and neurotypical women

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Oxytocin, published as a randomized controlled trial.

Oxytocin administration, which may be of therapeutic value for individuals with social difficulties, is likely to affect endogenous levels of other socially relevant hormones.

However, to date, the effects of oxytocin administration on endogenous hormones have only been examined in neurotypical individuals.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 29 women taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are teenagers, young adults, adults and middle-aged adults, women only.

Participants also completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and Empathy Quotient (EQ) questionnaires.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Oxytocin and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind Oxytocin study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Oxytocin group a baseline to be compared against.

Each person switched between Oxytocin and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

Oestradiol, testosterone, and oxytocin levels were quantified in saliva samples.

What Was Measured

Oxytocin administration, which may be of therapeutic value for individuals with social difficulties, is likely to affect endogenous levels of other socially relevant hormones.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Autistic Disorder, Estradiol, Oxytocin, Saliva and Testosterone.

Author keywords: Autism, Autistic women, Oestradiol, Salivary hormone levels and Sex steroids.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Oxytocin in 29 women.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Its findings take up roughly 8 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2020 (Molecular autism), a journal based in England.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page, all human trials.