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Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2012

4 results

Effects of intranasal oxytocin and vasopressin on cooperative behavior and associated brain activity in men.

Rilling JK, DeMarco AC, Hackett PD, Thompson R, Ditzen B, Patel R, Pagnoni G

Psychoneuroendocrinology12 Aug 2011Cited by 228 (Europe PMC)

PMID21840129 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC3251702 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.07.013 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-21840129
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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 study4

4 results from studies that gave the peptide. 4 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men playing an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma, intranasal oxytocin increased the caudate nucleus response to reciprocated cooperation relative to both vasopressin and placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men playing a cooperation game, nasal oxytocin raised caudate brain activity after cooperation was returned, more than vasopressin or placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseCaudate nucleus response to reciprocated cooperation
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Vasopressin and placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    relative to both AVP and placebo, OT increases the caudate nucleus response to reciprocated cooperation,
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we investigate the impact of intranasally administered oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) on behavior and brain activity among men in the context of an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men playing an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma, intranasal oxytocin increased left amygdala activation in response to reciprocated cooperation.

    In plain wordsIn men playing a cooperation game, nasal oxytocin raised left amygdala activity after cooperation was returned.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseLeft amygdala activation in response to reciprocated cooperation
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    OT also enhances left amygdala activation in response to reciprocated cooperation.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we investigate the impact of intranasally administered oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) on behavior and brain activity among men in the context of an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men playing an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma, oxytocin was associated with higher rates of cooperation after unreciprocated cooperation than vasopressin.

    In plain wordsIn men playing a cooperation game, oxytocin was linked to more cooperation after a partner did not cooperate, compared with vasopressin.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseCooperation after unreciprocated cooperation
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Vasopressin
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Behaviorally, OT was associated with increased rates of cooperation following unreciprocated cooperation in the previous round compared with AVP.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we investigate the impact of intranasally administered oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) on behavior and brain activity among men in the context of an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In men playing an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma, oxytocin increased amygdala functional connectivity with the anterior insula relative to placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men playing a cooperation game, nasal oxytocin raised connectivity between the amygdala and the anterior insula compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseAmygdala functional connectivity with the anterior insula
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Finally, both OT and AVP increase amygdala functional connectivity with the anterior insula relative to placebo, which may increase the amygdala's ability to elicit visceral somatic markers that guide decision making.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we investigate the impact of intranasally administered oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) on behavior and brain activity among men in the context of an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game

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

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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