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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 20 · 2008

3 results

Effects of oxytocin and prosocial behavior on brain responses to direct and vicariously experienced pain.

Singer T, Snozzi R, Bird G, Petrovic P, Silani G, Heinrichs M, Dolan RJ

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)1 Dec 2008Cited by 172 (Europe PMC)

PMID19102589 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC2672051 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1037/a0014195 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-19102589
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Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study3

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. 3 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In male volunteers, oxytocin did not enhance empathy-relevant anterior insula activation compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men, oxytocin did not increase empathy-related brain activity compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeAnterior insula activation during empathy for pain
    Study

    n = 20

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Empathy-relevant brain activation (anterior insula) was neither enhanced by oxytocin
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    To do so, we measured brain activity in a double-blind placebo-controlled study of 20 male participants either receiving painful stimulation to their own hand (self condition) or observing their female partner receiving painful stimulation to her hand (other condition).
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In male volunteers, oxytocin reduced amygdala activation during painful stimulation to their own hand in the nonsocial condition compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men, oxytocin lowered amygdala activity when they felt pain themselves, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAmygdala activation during own painful stimulation
    Study

    n = 20

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    However, oxytocin reduced amygdala activation when participants received painful stimulation themselves (in the nonsocial condition).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    To do so, we measured brain activity in a double-blind placebo-controlled study of 20 male participants either receiving painful stimulation to their own hand (self condition) or observing their female partner receiving painful stimulation to her hand (other condition).
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In male volunteers classified as selfish, oxytocin reduced amygdala activation during own painful stimulation, and this effect drove the overall result.

    In plain wordsIn men classed as selfish, oxytocin lowered amygdala activity during their own pain, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAmygdala activation during own pain in selfish participants
    Study

    n = 6

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    However, oxytocin reduced amygdala activation when participants received painful stimulation themselves (in the nonsocial condition). Surprisingly, this effect was driven by "selfish" participants.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    To do so, we measured brain activity in a double-blind placebo-controlled study of 20 male participants either receiving painful stimulation to their own hand (self condition) or observing their female partner receiving painful stimulation to her hand (other condition).

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Registered trials3

Trials this study reports on, or that list this study as a reference. Registry data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

3 trials · 3 completed · 2 with posted results · source ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

CompletedPhase 1NCT03060031

Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin Administration on Social Influence Effects on Pain

University of Colorado, Bouldern = 5121 Jun 2017 to 1 Apr 2019

Pain

Trial pageClinicalTrials.govUpdated 25 Jun 2019
CompletedPhase 4Results postedNCT02550093

The Effect of Intranasal Oxytocin on Pain Sensitivity and Threshold

Northwestern Universityn = 20Apr 2015 to Nov 2016

Healthy

Trial pageClinicalTrials.govUpdated 16 May 2022
CompletedPhase 1Results postedNCT01834261

Brain Dynamics of Oxytocin

Stony Brook Universityn = 51Apr 2013 to May 2015

Brain Dynamics in Healthy Adults

Trial pageClinicalTrials.govUpdated 17 Mar 2017

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:50 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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