Home › Autism Spectrum Disorder › NCT05754073
Oxytocin Effects on Bone in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study of Intranasal Oxytocin for Bone Health in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Who can join
Ages 6 to 18 · All sexes
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Ages 6 to 18 years old at Randomization 2. BMI greater than or equal to the 5th percentile 3. Expert clinical diagnosis of ASD 4. Availability of parent/guardian to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: 1. Fragile X, tuberous sclerosis, William's syndrome, Angelman's syndrome, Noonan syndrome, and other single gene defects that are syndromic and affect heart or bone density 2. Other conditions that may contribute to low bone density (e.g., hypogonadism) 3. Medications that may impact bone other than calcium or vitamin D supplementation, other than calcium or vitamin D supplementation, such as specific anti-seizure medications (Phenytoin, Phenobarbital), oral glucocorticoids, hormonal contraceptive injection (Medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera) 4. Hyponatremia 5. Liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and Bilirubin) more than three times the upper limit of the normal range 6. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60 7. Substance use disorder within the last 6 months 8. History of known coronary artery disease, heart failure, reduced ejection fraction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ventricular arrhythmias, or prolonged QT (QTc greater than or equal to 480 msec) 9. Active seizures within 6 months preceding the Screening visit or the Baseline visit 10. Subjects who are pregnant, lactating, or who refuse contraception if sexually active 11. Subjects who have had previous treatment with OXT (within 2 months of Randomization) 12. Subjects who are not able to cooperate with medication administration, blood drawing, or imaging procedures despite behavior training 13. Caregivers who are unable to speak English, be consistently present at study visits to report on symptoms or, per the judgement of the data collection team, are unable to comply with the protocol 14. Any significant illness, condition, medication, or medical device that the Investigator determines could interfere with study participation and impact data collection or subject safety
About the study
This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of intranasal oxytocin on bone health in children with autism spectrum disorder, ages 6-18 years old. Subjects will be randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (30 IU, 2 times daily) for 12 months in the double-blind phase, followed by a 6-month open label phase during which all study subjects will receive intranasal oxytocin (30 IU, 2 times daily). Study visits include screening to determine eligibility, followed by study visits at baseline, week 2, and months 6, 12, 18 and phone calls every two weeks for the first two months and monthly thereafter for the duration of the study. Study assessments include history and physical examinations, anthropometric measurements, electrocardiogram (EKG), adverse event monitoring, laboratory tests for chemistries, hormones and biomarkers for bone metabolism, questionnaires regarding diet and exercise, and imaging to assess body composition, bone density and structure.
What is being tested
- 1. Intranasal oxytocin spray (drug)
- 2. Intranasal placebo spray (drug)
- 3. Intranasal Oxytocin spray (drug)
Sponsor: Elizabeth Austen Lawson · Participants: 96 · Started: Aug 1, 2023
Contact the study team
- Madhusmita Misra, MD, MPH · Phone: 434-924-9141
- Sarah Smith, DNP · Phone: 617-726-3870
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05754073
Locations in the U.S.
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston |
| Virginia | University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.