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Oxytocin

What is oxytocin?

Oxytocin is a neuromodulatory neuropeptide that is important for the correct processing of emotional stimuli in a social context. It has been proposed that difficulties in social cognition in schiozphrenia and other disorders such as autism, are underpinned by disruption in the dopaminergic/oxytonergic circuitry linked to socio-emotional processing. Oxytocin has been linked to prosocial behaviours in some studies, but not in others. So, oxytocin effects may be moderated by features of the social environment or individual differences.

What is the evidence for the efficacy of adjunctive oxytocin?

Moderate quality evidence suggests no benefit of adjunctive oxytocin for schizophrenia symptoms, social cognition, or neurocognition.

October 2020

Last updated at: 5:43 am, 30th September 2020
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Title Colour Legend:
Green - Topic summary is available.
Orange - Topic summary is being compiled.
Red - Topic summary has no current systematic review available.