The DOI matches its Crossref record; 68 of the 73 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A review of safety, side-effects and subjective reactions to intranasal oxytocin in human research
Abstract
Background Human research investigating the impact of intranasal oxytocin on psychological processes has accelerated over the last two decades. No review of side effects, subjective reactions and safety is available. Method A systematic review of 38 randomised controlled trials conducted between 1990 and 2010 that investigated the central effects of intranasal oxytocin was undertaken. A systematic search for reports of adverse reactions involving intranasal oxytocin was also completed. Results Since 1990, research trials have reported on N=1529 (79% male) of which 8% were participants with developmental or mental health difficulties. Dosages ranged from 18 to 40 IU, mainly in single doses but ranged up to 182 administrations. Diverse methods have been used to screen and exclude participants, monitor side effects and subject reactions. Side effects are not different between oxytocin and placebo and participants are unable to accurately report on whether they have received oxytocin and placebo. Three case reports of adverse reactions due to misuse and longer-term use of intranasal oxytocin were reported. Conclusions The evidence shows that intranasal oxytocin: (1) produces no detectable subjective changes in recipients, (2) produces no reliable side-effects, and (3) is not associated with adverse outcomes when delivered in doses of 18-40 IU for short term use in controlled research settings. Future research directions should include a focus on the dosage and duration of use, and application with younger age groups, vulnerable populations, and with females.
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In the citing paper
“This timing and dosage are by far the most commonly used in oxytocin administration studies to date.25”
From Intranasal oxytocin enhances intrinsic corticostriatal functional connectivity in women (2017) · cites this paper as [25]
In the citing paper
“These authors reported that intranasal OT produces no detectable subjective changes in recipients and no reliable side effects, and that it is not associated with adverse outcomes when delivered in doses of 18–40 IU for short-term use in controlled research settings.”
From Oxytocin under opioid antagonism leads to supralinear enhancement of social attention (2017) · cites this paper as [68]
In the citing paper
“Acute OT administration reveals few safety concerns (17).”
From Chronic intranasal oxytocin causes long-term impairments in partner preference formation in male prairie voles (2013) · cites this paper as [17]
In the citing paper
“Acute intranasal OXT seems to produce no negative side effects in both healthy volunteers and subjects with developmental or mental health difficulties when delivered in doses of 18-40 IU (MacDonald et al, 2011).”
From Chronic and acute intranasal oxytocin produce divergent social effects in mice (2014) · cites this paper as MacDonald et al, 2011
In the citing paper
“While the overall safety of single doses of intranasal oxytocin are well established (MacDonald et al., 2011)”
From Augmenting Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD with intranasal oxytocin: a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial (2018) · cites this paper as MacDonald et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“The dose and timing of medication administration is based on past research in our group and others (Cardoso et al., 2013; Flanagan et al., 2015; MacDonald et al., 2011).”
From Augmenting Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD with intranasal oxytocin: a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial (2018) · cites this paper as MacDonald et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“could enter the central nervous system through intracellular junctions of the olfactory epithelia 76 to mimic endogenous oxytocin release 77”
From Beyond the hype and hope: critical considerations for intranasal oxytocin research in autism spectrum disorder (2017) · cites this paper as [76]
In the citing paper
“it has been proposed that the efficacy of oxytocin administration depends on dosage.10, 12, 13”
From Oxytocin efficacy is modulated by dosage and oxytocin receptor genotype in young adults with high-functioning autism: a 24-week randomized clinical trial (2016) · cites this paper as [13]
In the citing paper
“A dose of 40 IU twice a day is comparable to the doses previously used in human studies investigating effects of multiple treatments of oxytocin [61,62] and does not produce significant side effects or adverse outcomes [63].”
From Efficacy of oxytocin administration early after psychotrauma in preventing the development of PTSD: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial (2014) · cites this paper as [63]
In the citing paper
“intranasal oxytocin administration has been shown to reliably modulate neuropsychological functions in a series of studies (2–5) in the absence of relevant side effects (16).”
From Oxytocin Reduces Reward-Driven Food Intake in Humans (2013) · cites this paper as [16]
In the citing paper
“Oxytocin administered intranasally has central actions with minimal side effects, and is appealing as a potential targeted therapy for obesity(15).”
From Oxytocin reduces caloric intake in men (2015) · cites this paper as [15]
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Fear or greed? Oxytocin regulates inter-individual conflict by enhancing fear in men
Zheng, H., Kendrick, K. M., & Yu, R. (2016) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.07.003 · Cited by 16
“In line with most previous studies on oxytocin effects on trust (MacDonald et al., 2011), only healthymale participantswere recruited.”
ResultParadoxical Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Trust in Inpatient and Community Adolescents
Venta, A., Ha, C., Vanwoerden, S., Newlin, E., Strathearn, L., & Sharp, C. (2019) · Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology · doi:10.1080/15374416.2017.1399401 · Cited by 15
“Oxytocin administration followed standard procedures (Kosfeld et al., 2005); subjects selfadministered a standard dose (MacDonald et al., 2011): three puffs of a nasal spray in each nostril for a total of 24 IU oxytocin (Syntocinon-Spray, Novartis) or placebo spray containing all inactive…”
MethodNo side-effects of single intranasal oxytocin administration in middle childhood
Verhees, M. W. F. T., Houben, J., Ceulemans, E., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bosmans, G. (2018) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-018-4945-1 · Cited by 16
“2017) and adult samples (MacDonald et al. 2011), indicating that intranasal oxytocin does not produce reliable sideeffects.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialStandardization of HPTLC method for the estimation of oxytocin in edibles
Rani, R., Medhe, S., Raj, K. R., et al. (2013) · Journal of Food Science and Technology · doi:10.1007/s13197-013-1036-5 · Cited by 16
“When excess of oxytocin is found to be present in edibles it may cause headache, nausea, abdominal pain, drowsiness, etc. to the consumer (MacDonald et al. 2011; Satpathy et al. 2011).”
BackgroundZarei, S. A., Sheibani, V., Tomaz, C. A. B., & Mansouri, F. A. (2018) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.12.050 · Cited by 17
Intranasal oxytocin affects the stress response to social isolation in sheep
Damián, J. P., de Soto, L., Espindola, D., Gil, J., & van Lier, E. (2020) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113282 · Cited by 18
Low Serum Oxytocin Concentrations Are Associated with Painful Menstruation
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Oxytocin modulates local topography of human functional connectome in healthy men at rest
Martins, D., Dipasquale, O., & Paloyelis, Y. (2021) · Communications Biology · doi:10.1038/s42003-020-01610-z · Cited by 15
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“Nonetheless, there is evidence supportng that intranasal oxytocin application in various species cts directly on the central nervous system rather than hrough indirect pathways (MacDonald et al., 2011; Meyerinderberg et al., 2011; Veening et al., 2010).”
BackgroundDevelopments in the discovery and design of intranasal antidepressants
Panek, M., Kawalec, P., Pilc, A., & Lasoń, W. (2020) · Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery · doi:10.1080/17460441.2020.1776697 · Cited by 17
Zheng, X., & Kendrick, K. M. (2021) · Frontiers in Pharmacology · doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.652473 · Cited by 17
Melby, K., Fasmer, O. B., Henriksen, T. E. G., Gråwe, R. W., Aamo, T. O., & Spigset, O. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0228700 · Cited by 15
“Among the limitations are that the five-hour sequences chosen to detect any changes in activity following the oxytocin nasal spray administration [12] might have caused some interesting activity and sleep data outside these periods to be lost.”
BackgroundOxytocin as a potential pharmacological tool to combat obesity
Olszewski, P. K., Noble, E. E., Paiva, L., Ueta, Y., & Blevins, J. E. (2022) · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1111/jne.13106 · Cited by 16
Seeley, S. H., Andrews‐Hanna, J. R., Allen, J. J. B., & O'Connor, M. (2022) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.26071 · Cited by 14
“A single dose (24 IU; MacDonald et al., 2011) of synthetic oxytocin (Syntocinon, Novartis, Switzerland) or the placebo (Novartis, Switzerland: all nonactive ingredients of Syntocinon) was self-administered via six”
BackgroundMaoz, H., Grossman‐Giron, A., Sedoff, O., Nitzan, U., Kashua, H., Yarmishin, M., Arad, O., & Bitan, D. T. (2023) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.11.053 · Cited by 14
Autism in context 2: Assessment, intervention and services in A ustralia
Williams, K. J., Woolfenden, S. R., Roberts, J., Rodger, S., Bartak, L., & Prior, M. R. (2014) · Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health · doi:10.1111/jpc.12456 · Cited by 14
Self-citationFragkaki, I., & Cima, M. (2019) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104561 · Cited by 14
Oxytocin promotes species-relevant outgroup attention in bonobos and chimpanzees
Brooks, J., Kano, F., Kawaguchi, Y., & Yamamoto, S. (2022) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105182 · Cited by 13
Wronski, M., Plessow, F., Kerem, L., Asanza, E., O’Donoghue, M. L., Stanford, F. C., Bredella, M. A., Torriani, M., Soukas, A. A., Kheterpal, A., et al. (2022) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2022.106909 · Cited by 14
Intranasal Oxytocin Failed to Affect Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Social Behavior
Proctor, D. P., Calcutt, S. E., Burke, K., & de Waal, F. Β. Μ. (2016) · Animal Behavior and Cognition · doi:10.12966/abc.04.08.2016 · Cited by 14
“In human experiments using intranasal oxytocin, 72% of studies allow between 45 and 60 min for the oxytocin to uptake (MacDonald et al., 2011).”
Intranasal Oxytocin Does Not Modulate Responses to Alcohol in Social Drinkers
Vena, A. A., King, A. C., Lee, R., & de Wit, H. (2018) · Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research · doi:10.1111/acer.13814 · Cited by 14
“Similarly, in a recent meta-analysis of 38 clinical studies involving exogenous oxytocin administration, 93% of participants were unable to distinguish between oxytocin and placebo, and the hormone produced subtle and inconsistent behavioral effects (MacDonald et al., 2011).”
Altay, B., Dede, E. Ç., Ozgul, O., Atıl, F., Kocyigit, I. D., Orhan, K., Tekin, U., Korkusuz, P., & Önder, M. E. (2020) · Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery · doi:10.1016/j.joms.2020.03.005 · Cited by 14
Intrapartum Synthetic Oxytocin as a Potential Mediator for Postpartum Depression
Onuc, S., Rus, M., Badiu, D. L., Delcea, C., & Tica, V. (2025) · Psychiatry International · doi:10.3390/psychiatryint6010026 · Cited by 13
Oxytocin: A Potential Therapeutic for Obesity
Hong, S. M., Ko, J.-K., Moon, J., & Kim, Y. (2021) · Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome · doi:10.7570/jomes20098 · Cited by 13
Thomas, R., & Balachandran, M. (2022) · Food Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134106 · Cited by 13
Can oxytocin inhibit stress-induced hyperalgesia?
Li, Y.-X., An, H. Y., Wen, Z., Tao, Z.-Y., & Cao, D. (2019) · Neuropeptides · doi:10.1016/j.npep.2019.101996 · Cited by 13
Pedersen, C. A. (2014) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.050 · Cited by 11
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A Novel Link between the Oxytocin Receptor Gene and Impulsivity
Bozorgmehr, A., Moayedi, R., Sadeghi, B., Ghadirivasfi, M., Joghataei, M. T., & Shahbazi, A. (2020) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.07.033 · Cited by 13
Acupuncture and oxytocinergic system: The promising treatment for autism
Su, T., & Pei, L. (2021) · Translational Neuroscience · doi:10.1515/tnsci-2021-0011 · Cited by 13
“Exogenous intranasal OT administration may also cause side effects such as nasal irritation, light headedness, drowsiness, and/or headache [27].”
BackgroundGoodyear, K., Lee, M. R., O’Hara, M., Chernyak, S. V., Walter, H., Parasuraman, R., & Krüeger, F. (2015) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2015.1037463 · Cited by 11
“Previous studies have reported effects of intranasal oxytocin administration using doses of 24-IU (MacDonald et al., 2011); however, we chose 40-IU doses based on previous evidence that vasopressin, a peptide similar to oxytocin, yielded increases in cerebrospinal fluid levels (Born et al.”
MethodGonzález‐Hernández, A., Condés‐Lara, M., García-Boll, E., & Villalón, C. M. (2021) · Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology · doi:10.1080/17425255.2021.1856366 · Cited by 12
Oxytocin modulates charismatic influence in groups.
Gordon, I., & Berson, Y. (2017) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/xge0000375 · Cited by 12
“Forty-five minutes after administration, the interval needed for OT to take effect (MacDonald et al., 2011), the experimenter asked for volunteers to lead the group in a task but always chose the confederate.”
BackgroundCheong, R. Y., Tonetto, S., von Hörsten, S., & Petersén, Å. (2020) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104773 · Cited by 11
“This dose corresponded to a supraphysiologic dose equivalent to 40 IU/50 kg body weight human and showed no adverse effects when administered acutely (Ditzen et al., 2009; Lee et al., 2018; MacDonald et al., 2011).”
BackgroundEffects of oxytocin administration and the dog–owner bond on dogs’ rescue behavior
Dzik, M. V., Carballo, F., Casanave, E. B., & Bentosela, M. (2021) · Animal Cognition · doi:10.1007/s10071-021-01512-5 · Cited by 11
“This interval is the time OT takes to reach central levels (MacDonald et al. 2011; Quintana et al. 2015) and has been frequently used in prior literature (for a review, Kis et al.”
MethodNakagawa, Y. (2017) · Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research · doi:10.4303/jdar/236017 · Cited by 10
Divergent effects of oxytocin on “mind-reading” in healthy males
Macchia, A., Zebhauser, P. T., Salcedo, S., Burum, B., Gold, E., Alonso‐Alonso, M., Pascual‐Leone, Á., Gilbert, D. T., & Brem, A. (2021) · Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3758/s13415-021-00936-3 · Cited by 10
“Using appropriate procedures, subjects are not able to detect differences between OT and PLC (MacDonald et al., 2011).”
Augmenting Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Co-Occurring Conditions with Oxytocin
Flanagan, J. C., & Mitchell, J. (2019) · Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s40501-019-00171-1 · Cited by 12
Opioids and the hormone oxytocin
Kovatsi, L., & Nikolaou, K. (2019) · Vitamins and hormones · doi:10.1016/bs.vh.2019.05.003 · Cited by 9
Early Environments Shape Neuropeptide Function: The Case of Oxytocin and Vasopressin
Perry‐Paldi, A., Hirschberger, G., Feldman, R., Zagoory‐Sharon, O., Bazak, S. B., & Ein‐Dor, T. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00581 · Cited by 9
Szafoni, S., & Piegza, M. J. (2022) · Journal of Personalized Medicine · doi:10.3390/jpm12071067 · Cited by 10
“This partially results from the good tolerability of the treatment and the numerous pleiotropic effects of oxytocin [84].”
BackgroundOsório, F. D. L., Rojas, G. V. E., & AGUIAR-RICZ, L. N. (2022) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.943578 · Cited by 9
Crucianelli, L., Serpell, L., Paloyelis, Y., Ricciardi, L., Robinson, P. H., Jenkinson, P. M., & Fotopoulou, A. (2019) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024913 · Cited by 10
“Exclusion criteria for both groups include being pregnant or breastfeeding (see [74]), being below 16 or above 40 years old, any visible scar, tattoo or skin condition (e.”
BackgroundDoerr, J. M., Klaus, K., Troxel, W., Nater, U. M., Bodenmann, G., Heinrichs, M., Ehlert, U., & Ditzen, B. (2022) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000001091 · Cited by 9
“One puff of OTspray exposed participants to 4 international units (IU) of OT, which resulted in 32 IU of OT (2 puffs 2 nostrils 2 times 4 IU) per day (42).”
BackgroundBack, S. E., Flanagan, J. C., Killeen, T. K., Saraiya, T. C., Brown, D. G., Jarnecke, A. M., Rothbaum, A. O., Joseph, J. E., Ana, E. J. S., de Arellano, A., et al. (2023) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2023.107084 · Cited by 8
Neurochemical effects of oxytocin in people at clinical high risk for psychosis
Davies, C., Rutigliano, G., Micheli, A. D., Stone, J. M., Ramella‐Cravaro, V., Provenzani, U., Cappucciati, M., Scutt, E., Paloyelis, Y., Oliver, D., et al. (2019) · European Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.03.008 · Cited by 8
Flanagan, J. C., Mitchell, J., Baker, N. L., Woolley, J. D., Wangelin, B. C., Back, S. E., McQuaid, J. R., Neylan, T. C., Wolfe, W. R., & Brady, K. T. (2020) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2020.106074 · Cited by 10
Future directions for the investigation of intranasal oxytocin and pain
Rash, J. A., & Campbell, T. S. (2014) · Rheumatology International · doi:10.1007/s00296-014-3070-7 · Cited by 8
“[1] are important in suggesting that intranasal oxytocin is safe and well tolerated in a clinical sample of fibromyalgic patients (see also [8] for a review on side effects).”
BackgroundRash, J. A., Toivonen, K., Robert, M., Nasr‐Esfahani, M., Jarrell, J. F., & Campbell, T. S. (2017) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014909 · Cited by 8
“(2) study duration is brief; and (3) intranasal oxytocin has been extensively studied and side effects are rare and benign.(7)”
BackgroundInfluentialFlanagan, J. C., Joseph, J. E., Nietert, P. J., Back, S. E., & McCrady, B. S. (2019) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2019.05.002 · Cited by 8
Four-Week Intranasal Oxytocin Administration Reduces Attachment Avoidance in Older Women
Wright, K. A., Polk, R. J., Lin, T., Feifel, D., & Ebner, N. C. (2022) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105413 · Cited by 7
Intranasal Oxytocin Increases Perceptual Salience of Faces in the Absence of Awareness
Xue, S., Wu, H.-B., Zhang, L., & Zhang, D.-X. (2020) · Psychiatry Investigation · doi:10.30773/pi.2019.0130 · Cited by 8
Sniffing submissiveness? Oxytocin administration in severe psychopathy
Rijnders, R. J. P., Dykstra, A. H., Terburg, D., Kempes, M. M., & van Honk, J. (2021) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105330 · Cited by 7
Sippel, L. M., King, C. E., Wahlquist, A. E., & Flanagan, J. C. (2020) · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1097/jcp.0000000000001226 · Cited by 7
Sippel, L. M., Khalifian, C. E., Knopp, K. C., Webster, K., Maglione, J., Holcomb, J., Flanagan, J. C., Monson, C. M., Holtzheimer, P. E., & Morland, L. A. (2023) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.03.001 · Cited by 7
From Parental Behavior to Sexual Function: Recent Advances in Oxytocin Research
Dale, J. K., Harberson, M. T., & Hill, J. W. (2024) · Current Sexual Health Reports · doi:10.1007/s11930-024-00386-1 · Cited by 7
“To date, clinical studies have not found oxytocin toxicity or any major side effects after administration, regardless of the dosages or routes of administration used (IV, Oral, Intranasal) [134, 135].”
BackgroundBerends, Y. R., Tulen, J. H. M., Wierdsma, A. I., de Rijke, Y. B., Kushner, S. A., & Marle, H. J. C. V. (2021) · Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100080 · Cited by 6
Case Report: Oxytocin and Its Association With Psychotherapy Process and Outcome
Grossman‐Giron, A., Bitan, D. T., Zilcha‐Mano, S., Nitzan, U., Mendlovic, S., & Maoz, H. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.691055 · Cited by 6
“The dosage and form of delivery were determined according to standard guidelines in IN-OT studies (17).”
MethodSalivary oxytocin after oxytocin administration: Examining the moderating role of childhood trauma
Fragkaki, I., Glennon, J. C., & Cima, M. (2020) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107903 · Cited by 7
“…IU is the most frequently used dose in previous experimental studies and OT-IN has no severe adverse side effects when delivered in doses 18–40 IU in research settings (MacDonald et al., 2011), although mild side effects have also been reported in children (DeMayo, Song, Hickie, & Guastella, 2017).”
MethodSong, D., & Wang, Z. (2025) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115985 · Cited by 5
Hypothalamic and sex-related hormones in migraine
Warfvinge, K., Edvinsson, J. C. A., Maddahi, A., & Edvinsson, L. I. (2026) · The Journal of Headache and Pain · doi:10.1186/s10194-026-02289-z · Cited by 7
“Importantly, intranasal oxytocin in humans has not been associated with major side effects [148].”
Utility of Downstream Biomarkers to Assess and Optimize Intranasal Delivery of Oxytocin
DuBois, M. C., Tseng, A., Francis, S. M., Haynos, A. F., Peterson, C. B., & Jacob, S. (2022) · Pharmaceutics · doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14061178 · Cited by 5
“Previous studies of IN-OT single-dose tolerability [43,46] and chronic dosing safety in ASD [43] informed our dosage level selection.”
BackgroundA 6-week repeated intranasal dose toxicity study of TTA-121, a novel oxytocin nasal spray, in rats
Namekawa, J., Matsumoto, E., Kaneko, H., Shimomoto, T., Okamura, T., Oshikata, T., Renne, R. A., & Miura, D. (2019) · Fundamental Toxicological Sciences · doi:10.2131/fts.6.259 · Cited by 5
“Evidence from intravenous infusion of oxytocin suggests possible cardiovascular effects including tachycardia and bradycardia (MacDonald et al., 2011), and there have been cases of water intoxication from excessive doses of intranasal oxytocin together with a large volume of fluid (Mayer-Hubner,…”
BackgroundInfluentialSipNose-topiramate: a potential novel approach to binge eating management
Kobo-Greenhut, A., Zohar-Beja, A., Hadar, L., Itzhaki, L., Karasik, A., Caraco, Y., Frankenthal, H., Shahaf, D., Ekstein, D., Shichor, I., et al. (2023) · Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1186/s40337-023-00825-9 · Cited by 6
Kreutzmann, J. C., & Fendt, M. (2021) · Neurobiology of Stress · doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100313 · Cited by 6
“IN application of OT seems to be well tolerated and efficient in clinical studies (MacDonald et al., 2011).”
MethodOxytocin does not acutely improve glucose tolerance in men with type 2 diabetes
Goll, N., Moszka, N., Kantartzis, K., Preissl, H. T., Gruber, T., Fritsche, L., von Schwartzenberg, R. J., García‐Cáceres, C., Fritsche, A., & Hallschmid, M. (2024) · Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism · doi:10.1111/dom.15812 · Cited by 7
“38 The dose of 24 IU of intranasal oxytocin applied here and previously 5 – 8, 16, has been most widely used in human studies.”
Maoz, H., Grossman‐Giron, A., Baruch, N., Sedoff, O., Mama, Y., Nitzan, U., & Bitan, D. T. (2024) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116269 · Cited by 4
Rash, J. A., Campbell, T. S., Cooper, L., Flusk, D., MacInnes, A. I., Nasr‐Esfahani, M., Mekhael, A. A., Poulin, P. A., Robert, M., & Yi, Y. (2021) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055039 · Cited by 4
Influence of oxytocin on the central nervous system by different routes of administration
Litvinova, M. V., Tissen, I. Y., Aa, L., Бычков, Э. Р., Karpova, I. V., & Shabanov, P. D. (2023) · Психофармакология и биологическая наркология · doi:10.17816/phbn501752 · Cited by 5
Sawares, A. S., Olver, J. S., Morcos, M., & Norman, T. R. (2024) · Australasian Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/10398562241291335 · Cited by 4
Influence of intranasal oxytocin on fear consolidation in healthy humans
Hoge, E. A., Bui, É., Rosencrans, P. L., Orr, S. P., Ross, R., Ojserkis, R. A., & Simon, N. M. (2019) · General Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/gpsych-2019-100131 · Cited by 4
“25 26 The nasal sprays were delivered in a high-precision metered-dose spray vial, which participants self-administered with 10 puffs into the nostrils (approximately 3.08 IU OT per spray).”
MethodInfluentialVerhees, M. W. F. T., Ceulemans, E., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., Winter, S. D., & Bosmans, G. (2017) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2077-2 · Cited by 4
“There is no data monitoring committee due to the characteristics of the current study: a nonclinical participant group, tested for a short period of time with intervention(s) that have not been reported previously to harm participants [53].”
BackgroundInfluentialTraumatogenic Disturbances: PTSD, Complex PTSD and Trauma-Related Disorders
Mucci, C., Scalabrini, A., & Northoff, G. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-75112-2_17 · Cited by 5
McGregor, I. S., & Bowen, M. T. (2013) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139017855.018 · Cited by 4
Martins, D. A., Mazibuko, N., Zelaya, F. O., Vasilakopoulou, S., Loveridge, J., Oates, A., Maltezos, S., Mehta, M. A., Wastling, S. J., Howard, M. A., et al. (2019) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/563056 · Cited by 9
“Intranasal OT administration For the intranasal administrations, participants self-administered a nominal dose of 40 IU OT (Syntocinon; 40IU/ml; Novartis, Basel, Switzerland), one of the highest clinically applicable doses (86).”
Cagna, F. D., Fusar‐Poli, L., Damiani, S., & Mori, A. (2018) · doi:10.26226/morressier.5b681764b56e9b005965c55b · Cited by 4
Sippel, L. M., Wachsman, T. R., Kelley, M. E., Knopp, K. C., Khalifian, C. E., Maglione, J. E., Glynn, S. M., Macdonald, A., Monson, C. M., Flanagan, J. C., et al. (2024) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2024.107534 · Cited by 4
Oxytocin as a treatment for high-risk psychosis or early stages of psychosis: a mini review
Bargiota, S. I., Papakonstantinou, A., & Christodoulou, G. N. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1232776 · Cited by 3
“org A single dose of intranasal OT, ranging between 10 and 40 International Units (IU), is well tolerated, increases the answering score in various social cognition tasks (10) and tasks investigating empathy, deception, and sarcasm, and ameliorates facial emotion recognition in people diagnosed with schizophrenia (11).”
BackgroundOxytocin homogenizes horse group organization
Brooks, J., Maeda, T., Ringhofer, M., & Yamamoto, S. (2024) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.110356 · Cited by 5
Brien, S. O., Sethi, A., Blair, J., Tully, J., Martins, D., Velthuis, H., Petrinovic, M. M., Scott, S., Blackwood, N., Murphy, D., et al. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-92276-2 · Cited by 3
“Intranasal oxytocin is not known to incur any reliable side effects and is not associated with adverse outcomes in short-term use 40 nonetheless all subjects were monitored throughout the visit by the researchers and there was a medical doctor on site and the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences for…”
Oxytocin and Gynecomastia: Correlation or Causality?
Amorim, L., Gouveia, F. V., Germann, J., Zambori, D., Morais, R. M. C. B., Sato, F. M., Fongaro, C., Portolese, J., Brentani, H., & Martinez, R. C. R. (2018) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.2661 · Cited by 5
Hawkes, C. P., Herrera, A. M., Kohn, B., McCormack, S. E., & Alter, C. A. (2019) · Contemporary Endocrinology · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-11339-1_11 · Cited by 4
Joseph, J. E., Bustos, N., Crum, K. I., Flanagan, J. C., Baker, N. L., Hartwell, K. J., Maria, M. M. M., Brady, K. T., & McRae‐Clark, A. L. (2022) · Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100150 · Cited by 3
Dissecting social decision-making: A spotlight on oxytocinergic transmission
Coccia, G., Greca, F. L., Luca, M. D., & Scheggia, D. (2022) · Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnmol.2022.1061934 · Cited by 3
“, 2021), due to the direct link with the central nervous system and the neglectable sideeffects reported (Born et al., 2002; MacDonald et al., 2011; Bakermans-Kranenburg and van IJzendoorn, 2013).”
BackgroundRecent Advancement in Self Emulsifing Drug Delivery System
Bist, V. L., & Faruk, A. (2023) · Journal for Research in Applied Sciences and Biotechnology · doi:10.55544/jrasb.2.2.14 · Cited by 3
Intranasal oxytocin for autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
Feng, L., Wong, J. C., Mahendran, R., Chan, E. S., & Spencer, M. D. (2017) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd010928.pub2 · Cited by 3
Naderi, S., Vousooghi, N., Sadighii, N., Batouli, S. A. H., Mirzaii, F., & Razaghi, E. M. (2020) · Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.5812/ijpbs.104627 · Cited by 4
“Regarding the safety of intranasal administration of oxytocin, it appears to have no considerable side effects or adverse outcomes (18).”
BackgroundCurrent and future pharmacotherapy for female sexual dysfunction
Reisman, Y., Dubinskaya, A., & Padoa, A. (2025) · Nature Reviews Urology · doi:10.1038/s41585-025-01076-w · Cited by 2
“The main benefits of oxytocin are heightened trust and social engagement, along with decreased anxiety, with a low incidence of adverse events 108–110 , and it is also responsible for initiating childbirth and lactation.”
Hirsch, D., Reed, J., Naqvi, A., Ngor, A., Dugan, L., Costa, K., Ganasi, R. S., Truman, K. A., Danovitch, I., IsHak, W. W., et al. (2025) · CNS Drugs · doi:10.1007/s40263-025-01248-7 · Cited by 2
“Notably, oxytocin does not appear reliably associated with significant adverse effects when acutely delivered in research settings [136].”
Social dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder: Tactility and oxytocin
Yujie, H., Rong, Z., Libinuer·aierken, K., Jingjing, L., Junqi, W., Haiping, P., & Jun, G. (2023) · Advances in Psychological Science · doi:10.3724/sp.j.1042.2023.00800 · Cited by 2
The effectiveness of oxytocin in the treatment of stimulant use disorders: a systematic review
Lee-Cheong, S., Ludgate, S. A., Epp, T., & Schütz, C. G. (2023) · Behavioural Pharmacology · doi:10.1097/fbp.0000000000000744 · Cited by 2
“A systematic review on the safety of intranasal oxytocin in human research found that it produced no detectable subjective changes in recipients, no reliable side effects, and that doses of 18-40 IU for short-term use in controlled research settings were not associated with adverse outcomes (MacDonald et al., 2011).”
BackgroundThe Function of Oxytocin in Memory —A General Review of Oxytocin’s Effect on Memory
Gao, F. (2023) · World Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.4236/wjns.2023.134013 · Cited by 2
The Oxytocin Puzzle: Unlocking Alzheimer’s Disease
Sellés, M. C., & Oliveira, M. M. (2024) · Journal of Alzheimer s Disease · doi:10.3233/jad-231127 · Cited by 3
Cho, S.-A., Park, S.-H., & Cho, J.-H. (2014) · The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics · doi:10.4047/jap.2014.6.6.505 · Cited by 2
Mackenzie, R., & Watts, J. (2012) · Tizard Learning Disability Review · doi:10.1108/13595471211272532 · Cited by 3
Yan, Z., & Kirsch, P. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108770880.018 · Cited by 2
Cognitive Enhancers for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Curtiss, J. E., Carpenter, J. K., Kind, S., & Hofmann, S. G. (2016) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935291.013.15 · Cited by 2
The neural connections of oxytocin-mediated parental behavior in male mice
Chen, Z., Wang, Q., Xue, X., Huang, Z., & Wang, Y. (2023) · Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnmol.2023.1091139 · Cited by 2
“OT delivering via the intranasal (IN) is a major clinical drug delivery route, which is a more easier, more efficient administration way and can protect the body from systemic toxicity (MacDonald et al., 2011).”
BackgroundL’hypophyse et ses traitements : comment peuvent-ils influer sur le comportement ?
Mouly, C., Borson‐Chazot, F., & Caron, P. J. (2017) · Annales d Endocrinologie · doi:10.1016/s0003-4266(17)30924-1 · Cited by 2
Chuang, J.-Y. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.572654 · Cited by 1
“Although there is no consensus on the intranasal oxytocin regimen, a systematic review indicates no adverse outcomes when delivered in doses of 18–40 IU for short term use (22).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- MacDonald, E., Dadds, M. R., Brennan, J. L., Williams, K., Levy, F., & Cauchi, A. J.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Royal Children's Hospital (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Dadds, Mark R.
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-09
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1114-1126
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2057967199
- Semantic Scholar
- 84a4c13a42b3dc1fbf0ab5392e09a084183e8ad6
- Cited by
- 359
- References
- 73
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 11.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- intranasal oxytocin, drug safety, adverse effects, subjective reactions, placebo effect, vulnerable populations, research ethics
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Intranasal, Female, Humans, Human Experimentation, Male, Mental Processes, Oxytocin, Research, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
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