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Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2013

5 results

Sex-specific effects of intranasal oxytocin on autonomic nervous system and emotional responses to couple conflict.

Ditzen B, Nater UM, Schaer M, La Marca R, Bodenmann G, Ehlert U, Heinrichs M

Social cognitive and affective neuroscience27 Jul 2012Cited by 80 (Europe PMC)

PMID22842905 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC3831552 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1093/scan/nss083 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-22842905
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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 study5

5 results from studies that gave the peptide. 5 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In heterosexual couples, intranasal oxytocin reduced salivary alpha-amylase during couple conflict in women versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn women in couples, oxytocin lowered a stress marker in saliva during a couple conflict, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseSalivary alpha-amylase during couple conflict in women
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin significantly reduced sAA during couple conflict in women, whereas men showed increases in sAA levels (sex × group interaction: B = -49.36, t = -2.68, P = 0.009).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 47 heterosexual couples (total n = 94) received oxytocin or placebo intranasally prior to instructed couple conflict.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In heterosexual couples, men given intranasal oxytocin or placebo showed increases in salivary alpha-amylase during couple conflict in the oxytocin group, in contrast to the reduction in women (sex by group interaction).

    In plain wordsIn men in couples, a stress marker in saliva rose during a couple conflict after oxytocin, unlike the drop seen in women, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseSalivary alpha-amylase during couple conflict in men
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    whereas men showed increases in sAA levels (sex × group interaction: B = -49.36, t = -2.68, P = 0.009)
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 47 heterosexual couples (total n = 94) received oxytocin or placebo intranasally prior to instructed couple conflict.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In heterosexual couples, intranasal oxytocin reduced emotional arousal during couple conflict in women.

    In plain wordsIn women in couples, oxytocin lowered emotional arousal during a couple conflict.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseEmotional arousal in women
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    with the neuropeptide reducing sAA responses and emotional arousal in women while increasing them in men.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 47 heterosexual couples (total n = 94) received oxytocin or placebo intranasally prior to instructed couple conflict.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In heterosexual couples, intranasal oxytocin increased emotional arousal during couple conflict in men.

    In plain wordsIn men in couples, oxytocin raised emotional arousal during a couple conflict.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseEmotional arousal in men
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    while increasing them in men.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 47 heterosexual couples (total n = 94) received oxytocin or placebo intranasally prior to instructed couple conflict.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In men, the sAA increases were related to augmented emotional arousal and to more positive behavior, with no such association in women.

    In plain wordsIn men, the rise in the stress marker was linked to higher arousal and more positive behavior, but not in women.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableAssociation of sAA increase with emotional arousal and positive behavior in men
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Stress hormones · Endocrine and hormones
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    correlation r
    0.286 r
    sAA and emotional arousal in men
    correlation r
    0.291 r
    sAA and positive behavior in men

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In men, these increases were related to augmented emotional arousal (r = 0.286, P = 0.028) and more positive behavior (r = 0.291, P = 0.026), whereas there was no such association in women.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 47 heterosexual couples (total n = 94) received oxytocin or placebo intranasally prior to instructed couple conflict.

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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