Could a 'Love Hormone' nasal spray help people with schizophrenia connect better?
NCT ID NCT06881810
First seen Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 17, 2026
Summary
This phase 2 trial tests whether adding oxytocin nasal spray to standard psychosocial treatment can improve social skills and reduce symptoms in adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Participants receive either oxytocin or a placebo spray alongside their usual therapy. The study measures changes in social performance and symptom severity to see if oxytocin offers an extra benefit.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Oxytocin nasal spray (Syntocinon) as an add-on to individualized psychosocial treatment
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could offer a new way to improve social functioning and reduce symptoms in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with a modest number of participants, so results may not be conclusive or generalizable. Oxytocin may not outperform placebo, and side effects are possible.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Central Institute of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry,
Mannheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, 68159, Germany
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