Oxytocin doesn’t help children on the autism spectrum

The APA Monitor (April/May 2022) summarizes a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. We have known for a long time that it is critical for journals to publish negative as well as positive findings. While a previous study had suggested that oxytocin might improve social functioning in children on the autism spectrum, this study did not. It is well designed in that there is a placebo control. There were 139 children in the experimental study and 138 in the placebo control. Each child (aged 3-17) used a nasal spray twice daily for 24 weeks. Caregivers rated both social skills and autism symptoms. There were no problems with tolerance for oxytocin and few side effects but, in the end, there were no significant differences  between the two groups’ initial and final ratings.