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 Selectively Improves Empathic Accuracy
Oxytocin is known to regulate prosocial behavior and social cognition in animals ( Ross & Young , 2009 ) , and recent studies suggest that oxytocin may have similar functions in humans . For example , oxytocin increases trust ( Kosfeld , Heinrichs , Zak , Fischbacher , & Fehr , 2005 ) and accuracy in mental-state attribution ( Domes , Heinrichs , Michel , Berger , & Herpertz , 2007 ; Guastella et al. , 2009 ) . These findings have generated excitement about oxytocin ’s potential to ameliorate social deficits in such disorders as social phobia and autism ( Bartz & Holl and er , 2006 ; Guastella et al. , 2009 ; Kosfeld et al. , 2005 ) . This excitement has not been confined to the scientific community : Dubbed the “ hormone of love , ” oxytocin is a common topic in the popular press . Is oxytocin truly a universal social panacea ? Although some studies have shown that oxytocin improves social cognition and empathy ( Domes et al. , 2007 ; Guastella et al. , 2009 ) , others have not ( Singer et al. , 2008 ) . Even studies demonstrating positive effects have ambiguities : Domes et al. ( 2007 ) found that oxytocin improved performance for difficult — but not easy — test items . These observations imply that rather than working universally , oxytocin may selectively facilitate social cognition given certain constraints . For example , by altering specific motivational or cognitive states , oxytocin might increase the salience of social cues , which in turn could improve social-cognitive performance for some individuals , but not others . The effects of oxytocin , then , should be most pronounced in individuals who — at baseline — are less socially proficient ; this would be consistent with broader interactionist views emphasizing that individual differences in competencies interact with situational variables to determine behavior ( Mischel & Shoda , 1995 ) . To test whether normal variance in social proficiency  moderates the effects of oxytocin on social-cognitive performance , we used a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , crossover challenge in which participants received either intranasal oxytocin or a placebo and performed an empathicaccuracy task that naturalistically measures social-cognitive abilities ( Zaki , Bolger , & Ochsner , 2008 ) . We measured variance in baseline social competencies with the Autism Spectrum Quotient ( AQ ; Baron-Cohen , Wheelwright , Skinner , Martin , & Clubley , 2001 ) , a self-report instrument that predicts social-cognitive performance ( Baron-Cohen , Wheelwright , Hill , Raste , & Plumb , 2001 ) . We hypothesized that drug condition and AQ score would interact to predict performance on the empathic-accuracy task  , with oxytocin having the most pronounced effects for less socially proficient individuals ( i.e. , those with higher AQ scores )
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 .