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Table 2 Outcome measures and effects of oxytocin treatment. Mean pre-to-post change scores are listed separately for each treatment group (oxytocin, placebo) and assessment session (T1, T2, T3). Cohen’s d effect sizes of between-group differences are reported separately for each outcome measure and assessment session. T and p values correspond to single-sample t tests assessing within-group changes from baseline separately for the oxytocin and placebo group

From: Behavioral effects of multiple-dose oxytocin treatment in autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with long-term follow-up

Outcome measure

Oxytocin

Placebo

Between-group difference

N

Mean ± SD

T value

p

N

Mean ± SD

T value

p

Cohen’s d

Multiple-dose effect (T1)

 Primary outcomes

  SRS-A self-report

22

− 5.55 ± 11.40

− 2.28

0.033

18

− 1.06 ± 10.01

− 0.45

0.66

−0.42

  SRS-A informant-based

17

0.0 ± 15.86

0.00

1.00

15

− 0.87 ± 12.83

− 0.26

0.80

0.10

 Secondary outcomes

  

  RBS-R

22

− 4.77 ± 6.47

− 3.46

0.002

17

− 1.76 ± 4.75

− 1.53

0.15

− 0.63

  SAAM avoidance

22

− 0.40 ± 0.71

− 2.63

0.016

18

0.06 ± 0.98

0.24

0.81

− 0.61

  SAAM security

22

0.27 ± 0.77

1.62

0.12

18

− 0.05 ± 0.66

− 0.31

0.76

0.63

  SAAM anxiety

22

− 0.14 ± 0.75

− 0.90

0.38

18

0.28 ± 0.95

1.24

0.23

− 0.62

  IPPA Peers

22

1.45 ± 3.85

1.77

0.091

18

0.56 ± 4.05

0.58

0.57

0.30

  IPPA Mother

21

− 0.52 ± 2.71

− 0.88

0.39

18

0.44 ± 3.45

0.55

0.59

− 0.39

  IPPA Father

21

0.43 ± 3.30

0.60

0.56

18

− 0.61 ± 3.81

− 0.68

0.50

0.29

  WHO-QOL

22

1.77 ± 8.04

1.03

0.31

17

− 1.35 ± 6.74

− 0.83

0.42

0.63

 Profile of mood states

  Tension

22

− 2.00 ± 2.29

− 4.10

0.0005

18

− 2.39 ± 3.03

− 3.34

0.004

0.14

  Anger

22

0.00 ± 4.05

0.00

1.00

18

− 0.61 ± 2.73

− 0.95

0.35

0.18

  Depression

22

− 1.14 ± 4.50

− 1.19

0.25

18

− 0.33 ± 2.81

− 0.50

0.62

− 0.21

  Vigor

22

− 1.00 ± 2.53

− 1.86

0.077

18

− 2.94 ± 3.64

− 3.43

0.003

0.62

  Fatigue

22

− 2.09 ± 3.99

− 2.46

0.023

18

− 1.11 ± 5.12

− 0.92

0.37

− 0.21

One-month retention effect (T2)

 Primary outcomes

  SRS-A self-report

22

− 5.64 ± 12.57

− 2.10

0.048

18

− 7.67 ± 12.09

− 2.69

0.015

0.22

  SRS-A informant-based

17

− 9.59 ± 10.98

− 3.60

0.002

15

− 1.20 ± 10.73

− 0.43

0.67

− 0.83

 Secondary outcomes

         

  RBS-R

22

− 4.91 ± 6.33

− 3.64

0.002

17

− 2.35 ± 3.43

− 2.83

0.012

− 0.50

  SAAM avoidance

22

− 0.38 ± 0.70

− 2.58

0.018

18

− 0.06 ± 0.76

− 0.35

0.73

− 0.53

  SAAM security

22

0.04 ± 1.01

0.18

0.86

18

− 0.40 ± 0.99

− 1.70

0.11

0.62

  SAAM anxiety

22

0.08 ± 1.05

0.36

0.72

18

0.11 ± 0.87

0.54

0.60

− 0.05

  IPPA Peers

22

1.32 ± 3.71

1.67

0.11

18

0.06 ± 3.70

0.06

0.95

0.45

  IPPA Mother

21

− 0.38 ± 3.43

− 0.51

0.62

18

0.06 ± 4.35

0.05

0.96

− 0.14

  IPPA Father

21

0.52 ± 3.59

0.67

0.51

18

− 0.33 ± 3.87

− 0.37

0.72

0.31

  WHO-QOL

22

1.14 ± 5.48

0.97

0.34

17

0.35 ± 4.53

0.32

0.75

0.24

 Profile of mood states

  Tension

22

− 2.64 ± 2.80

− 4.41

0.0002

18

− 2.11 ± 3.22

− 2.76

0.013

− 0.17

  Anger

22

0.36 ± 3.68

0.46

0.65

18

− 0.39 ± 3.91

− 0.42

0.68

0.20

  Depression

22

− 0.82 ± 2.63

− 1.46

0.16

18

0.22 ± 3.41

0.28

0.79

− 0.34

  Vigor

22

0.14 ± 3.58

0.18

0.86

18

− 1.44 ± 4.33

− 1.42

0.17

0.40

  Fatigue

22

− 2.69 ± 2.71

− 4.63

0.0001

18

− 2.33 ± 4.47

− 2.21

0.04

− 0.09

One-year retention effect (T3)

 Primary outcomes

  SRS-A self-report

22

− 8.59 ± 20.95

− 1.92

0.07

18

− 6.72 ± 21.01

− 1.36

0.19

− 0.12

  SRS-A informant-based

17

− 7.41 ± 19.26

− 1.59

0.13

15

− 4.13 ± 24.64

− 0.65

0.53

− 0.18

 Secondary outcomes

  RBS-R

22

− 4.91 ± 9.46

− 2.43

0.02

17

− 0.41 ± 4.27

− 0.40

0.70

− 0.98

  SAAM avoidance

22

− 0.52 ± 1.18

− 2.07

0.05

18

0.0 ± 0.75

0.00

1.00

− 0.80

  SAAM security

22

0.20 ± 1.52

− 0.62

0.54

18

− 0.14 ± 0.66

− 0.91

0.37

− 0.05

  SAAM anxiety

22

0.17 ± 0.94

0.83

0.42

18

0.11 ± 1.21

0.39

0.70

0.06

  IPPA Peers

22

0.68 ± 6.26

0.51

0.61

18

1.28 ± 4.17

1.30

0.21

− 0.20

  IPPA Mother

21

0.33 ± 3.91

0.39

0.70

18

1.50 ± 5.44

1.17

0.26

− 0.30

  IPPA Father

21

0.57 ± 4.08

0.64

0.53

18

− 0.50 ± 4.53

− 0.47

0.65

0.33

  WHO-QOL

22

1.14 ± 8.37

0.64

0.53

17

0.29 ± 4.21

0.29

0.78

0.27

 Profile of mood states

  Tension

22

− 1.86 ± 2.29

− 3.81

0.001

18

− 2.28 ± 3.46

− 2.79

0.012

0.14

  Anger

22

0.59 ± 3.69

0.75

0.46

18

0.06 ± 3.84

0.06

0.95

0.14

  Depression

22

0.50 ± 2.63

0.89

0.38

18

− 0.28 ± 3.51

− 0.34

0.74

0.25

  Vigor

22

1.14 ± 3.88

1.37

0.18

18

− 0.61 ± 3.27

− 0.79

0.43

0.50

  Fatigue

22

− 0.23 ± 6.04

− 0.18

0.86

18

0.39 ± 4.73

0.35

0.73

− 0.11

  1. SRS-A Social Responsiveness Scale adult version, RBS-R Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised, SAAM State Adult Attachment Measure, IPPA Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, WHO-QOL World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire. Screening for mood changes are based on the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. For SRS-A, RBS-R, SAAM avoidance, SAAM anxiety, and POMS tension, anger, depression and fatigue; negative scores indicate pre-to-post improvement. Cohen’s d effect sizes (change from baselineOT–change from baselinePL)/pooled SD) are reported where 0.2 is indicative of a small effect, 0.5 a medium effect and 0.8 a large effect. Data printed in bold show Cohen’s d effect sizes equal to or larger than .50 (medium-sized effect)