Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37540265›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2023

Oxytocin treatment for core symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Lifei Hu, Xiaotian Du, Zhongquan Jiang, Chao Song, Dong Liu

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
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.

Lifei Hu *Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310051, China.
Xiaotian Du *School of Public Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Zhongquan JiangSchool of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Chao SongChildren's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310051, China.
Dong LiuDepartment of Neonatology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China. liudong86755@hotmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the efficacy of oxytocin in treating core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with children.

methodsA systematic literature search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of oxytocin for the treatment of core symptoms in children with ASD. The search included studies published between January 1, 1999 and March 15, 2023, that were randomized, single or double-blinded, and included a placebo control group. Standard screening rules were applied to select relevant studies, resulting in the inclusion of five RCTs involving 486 children with ASD.

resultsUltimately, a total of five RCTs, involving 486 children with ASD, were included in the review using standard screening rules.One of the included studies demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS) scores when children with ASD were treated with oxytocin (24 IU/2 days for 6 weeks). The improvement in core symptoms persisted at the 6-month follow-up. The meta-analysis findings suggested that oxytocin might have a moderate effect in improving the core symptom of narrow interests and repetitive stereotyped behaviors in children with ASD.

conclusionWhile the therapeutic value of oxytocin in treating core symptoms of ASD in children is not fully established, the results of this meta-analysis indicate a potential moderate effect. However, further studies with larger sample sizes and more robust RCTs are needed to directly demonstrate the efficacy of oxytocin. Future research should also focus on effect size and outcome evaluation accuracy while minimizing bias in RCT experiments.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderOxytocinChildControl GroupsHumansOutcome Assessment, Health CareOxytocinChildren autism spectrum disorderMeta-analysisOxytocinSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID37540265

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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 Socratic graph.