The impact of intranasal oxytocin on attention to social emotional stimuli in patients with anorexia nervosa: a double blind within-subject cross-over experiment.

Kim YR, Kim CH, Park JH, Pyo J, Treasure J

PloS one6 Mar 2014Cited by 38 (Europe PMC)

PMID24603863PMCIDPMC3946210DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0090721PepBankPUB-24603863

Summary

Background and aimSocial factors may be of importance causally and act as maintenance factors in patients with anorexia nervosa. Oxytocin is a neuromodulatory hormone involved in social emotional processing associated with attentional processes. This study aimed to examine the impact of oxytocin on attentional processes to social faces representing anger, disgust, and happiness in patients with anorexia nervosa.MethodA double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject crossover design was used. Intranasal oxytocin or placebo followed by a visual probe detection task with faces depicting anger, disgust, and happiness was administered to 64 female subjects: 31 patients with anorexia nervosa and 33 control students.ResultsAttentional bias to the disgust stimuli was observed in both groups under the placebo condition. The attentional bias to disgust was reduced under the oxytocin condition (a moderate effect in the patient group). Avoidance of angry faces was observed in the patient group under the placebo condition and vigilance was observed in the healthy comparison group; both of these information processing responses were moderated by oxytocin producing an increase in vigilance in the patients. Happy/smiling faces did not elicit an attentional response in controls or the patients under either the placebo or oxytocin conditions.ConclusionOxytocin attenuated attentional vigilance to disgust in patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls. On the other hand, oxytocin changed the response to angry faces from avoidance to vigilance in patients but reduced vigilance to anger in healthy controls. We conclude that patients with anorexia nervosa appear to use different strategies/circuits to emotionally process anger from their healthy counterparts.

CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

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

01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In women with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls, intranasal oxytocin reduced the attentional bias to disgust faces versus placebo, with a moderate effect in the patient group.
In plain wordsIn women with anorexia nervosa and healthy women, oxytocin lowered the attention pull of disgust faces compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseAttentional bias to disgust faces
Study
n = 64
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Attentional bias to the disgust stimuli was observed in both groups under the placebo condition. The attentional bias to disgust was reduced under the oxytocin condition (a moderate effect in the patient group).
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
A double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject crossover design was used.
Summary · context
Intranasal oxytocin or placebo followed by a visual probe detection task with faces depicting anger, disgust, and happiness was administered to 64 female subjects: 31 patients with anorexia nervosa and 33 control students.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-2460386301
02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In women with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls, happy faces did not elicit an attentional response under either oxytocin or placebo.
In plain wordsIn women with anorexia nervosa and healthy women, happy faces drew no attention response with oxytocin or with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeAttentional response to happy faces
Study
n = 64
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Happy/smiling faces did not elicit an attentional response in controls or the patients under either the placebo or oxytocin conditions.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
A double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject crossover design was used.
Summary · context
Intranasal oxytocin or placebo followed by a visual probe detection task with faces depicting anger, disgust, and happiness was administered to 64 female subjects: 31 patients with anorexia nervosa and 33 control students.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-2460386304
03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In healthy women, oxytocin moderated the vigilance toward angry faces seen on placebo and reduced vigilance to anger.
In plain wordsIn healthy women, oxytocin lowered the attention given to angry faces compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseAttention to angry faces in healthy controls
Study
n = 33
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Avoidance of angry faces was observed in the patient group under the placebo condition and vigilance was observed in the healthy comparison group; both of these information processing responses were moderated by oxytocin producing an increase in vigilance in the patients.
3 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
On the other hand, oxytocin changed the response to angry faces from avoidance to vigilance in patients but reduced vigilance to anger in healthy controls.
Summary · context
A double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject crossover design was used.
Summary · context
Intranasal oxytocin or placebo followed by a visual probe detection task with faces depicting anger, disgust, and happiness was administered to 64 female subjects: 31 patients with anorexia nervosa and 33 control students.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-2460386303
04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In women with anorexia nervosa, oxytocin changed the response to angry faces from avoidance under placebo to increased vigilance.
In plain wordsIn women with anorexia nervosa, oxytocin changed avoidance of angry faces into more attention to them, compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseAttention to angry faces in patients with anorexia nervosa
Study
n = 31
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Avoidance of angry faces was observed in the patient group under the placebo condition and vigilance was observed in the healthy comparison group; both of these information processing responses were moderated by oxytocin producing an increase in vigilance in the patients
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
A double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject crossover design was used.
Summary · context
Intranasal oxytocin or placebo followed by a visual probe detection task with faces depicting anger, disgust, and happiness was administered to 64 female subjects: 31 patients with anorexia nervosa and 33 control students.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-2460386302

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.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:49 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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