Skip to content

Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2016

2 results

Memory response to oxytocin predicts relationship dissolution over 18 months.

Cardoso C, Kalogeropoulos C, Brown CA, Orlando MA, Ellenbogen MA

Psychoneuroendocrinology9 Mar 2016Cited by 4 (Europe PMC)

PMID26986091 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.03.005 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-26986091
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
Jump to 2 results

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 study2

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. 2 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants in a romantic relationship, intranasal oxytocin reduced the number of recalled memories of past romantic partners relative to placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people in a relationship, oxytocin led to fewer recalled memories of past partners than placebo did.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseRecall of memories of past romantic partners
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    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
    Participants in a relationship recalled fewer memories of past romantic partners following oxytocin administration relative to placebo.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a placebo-controlled, within-subject, randomized experiment, 48 participants (24♀; 16 single) self-administered intranasal oxytocin and completed an autobiographical memory test.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialOther

    In participants in a romantic relationship, a larger rise in recalled conflict memories of the current partner after oxytocin, relative to placebo, was associated with ending the relationship over 18 months.

    In plain wordsIn people in a relationship, recalling more conflict memories after oxytocin than after placebo was linked to a higher chance of the relationship ending.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableConflict-memory response to oxytocin as predictor of relationship ending over 18 months
    Study

    n: not reported in source

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Participants who responded to oxytocin by recalling more conflict memories of their current romantic partner, relative to placebo, were more likely to have ended their relationship over 18 months than those who did not show this response.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a placebo-controlled, within-subject, randomized experiment, 48 participants (24♀; 16 single) self-administered intranasal oxytocin and completed an autobiographical memory test.

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.

PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.