Results showed no significant effects on core symptomatology .
In conclusion , up to date , evidence regarding the potential utility of IN-OT in treating anxiety and depression is still inconclusive .
Several studies have demonstrated the neuromodulating function of oxytocin ( OT ) in response to anxiogenic stimuli as well as its potential role in the pathogenesis of depression .
Consequently , intranasal OT ( IN-OT ) has been proposed as a potential treatment of  anxiety and depressive disorders .
The present systematic review aim ed to summarize the r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) evaluating the effect of IN-OT on anxiety and depressive symptoms .
Oxytocin and psychotherapy: A pilot study of its physiological, behavioral and subjective effects in males with depression
Individual psychotherapy is an important treatment for a number of psychiatric conditions and involves a unique form of human attachment . This raises the question of whether oxytocin ( OT ) , the paradigmatic " attachment hormone " , may have benefits in this context . In this r and omized , double-blind , crossover trial , we gave male psychiatric out patients with major depressive disorder 40 IU  intranasal OT or placebo before a videotaped session with a therapist and measured a number of subjective , physiological , and behavioral parameters . We report three main findings . Surprisingly - in contrast to prior reports of OT 's anxiolytic properties - we found OT caused an increase in anxiety over the course of the therapy session . Secondly , though it had no main effect on cortisol , eye contact , or overall behavior , we did find that OT caused a decrease in nonverbal behaviors that cut off social contact , after controlling for level of depressive symptoms . Lastly , we replicated prior findings that OT improves social cognition ( performance on the reading the mind in the eyes test ( RMET ) ) , albeit in a depressed patient group . These results inform future studies of oxytocin and psychotherapy and suggest that in certain clinical population s and context s , OT has heterogeneous subjective effects which may include acute anxiogenesis . Moreover , the similarity of some of these acute effects to those of single-dose serotonergic antidepressants raises interesting questions about the potential antidepressant benefits of chronic OT administration
Results showed no significant effects on core symptomatology .
In conclusion , up to date , evidence regarding the potential utility of IN-OT in treating anxiety and depression is still inconclusive .
Several studies have demonstrated the neuromodulating function of oxytocin ( OT ) in response to anxiogenic stimuli as well as its potential role in the pathogenesis of depression .
Consequently , intranasal OT ( IN-OT ) has been proposed as a potential treatment of  anxiety and depressive disorders .
The present systematic review aim ed to summarize the r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) evaluating the effect of IN-OT on anxiety and depressive symptoms .