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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 50 · 2014

3 results

Oxytocin effects on mind-reading are moderated by experiences of maternal love withdrawal: an fMRI study.

Riem MM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Voorthuis A, van IJzendoorn MH

Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry31 Jan 2014Cited by 33 (Europe PMC)

PMID24486563 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.01.014 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-24486563
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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 trialMechanism

    In 50 women, intranasal oxytocin 16 IU enhanced neural activation in the superior temporal gyrus and insula during a mind-reading task compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn 50 women, oxytocin increased brain activity in two regions during a task that reads other people's mental states, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseNeural activation in superior temporal gyrus and insula during mind-reading
    Study

    n = 50

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    16 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    We found that oxytocin enhanced neural activation in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and insula during the RMET.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Participants were 50 women who received a nasal spray containing either 16 IU of oxytocin or a placebo and had reported how often their mother used love withdrawal as a disciplinary strategy.
    Summary · context
    Participants performed an adapted version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a task which requires individuals to infer mental states by looking at photographs of the eye region of faces.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In 50 women, intranasal oxytocin 16 IU increased performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test outside the scanner compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn 50 women, oxytocin improved scores on a test of reading mental states from eyes, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseMind-reading performance (RMET) outside the scanner
    Study

    n = 50

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    16 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Moreover, oxytocin increased RMET performance outside the scanner.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Participants were 50 women who received a nasal spray containing either 16 IU of oxytocin or a placebo and had reported how often their mother used love withdrawal as a disciplinary strategy.
    Summary · context
    Participants performed an adapted version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a task which requires individuals to infer mental states by looking at photographs of the eye region of faces.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In women, the oxytocin-induced changes in superior temporal gyrus activation and test performance occurred only in participants with low test performance who reported higher maternal love withdrawal.

    In plain wordsIn women, oxytocin changed brain activity and test scores only in those with low scores who reported more maternal love withdrawal.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    MixedModeration of oxytocin effects by maternal love withdrawal
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    16 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    However, the oxytocin induced changes in STG activation and RMET performance were only brought about in potentially less socially proficient individuals who had low RMET performance, that is, participants reporting higher levels of maternal love withdrawal.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Participants were 50 women who received a nasal spray containing either 16 IU of oxytocin or a placebo and had reported how often their mother used love withdrawal as a disciplinary strategy.
    Summary · context
    Participants performed an adapted version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a task which requires individuals to infer mental states by looking at photographs of the eye region of faces.

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, 02:49 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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