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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 40 · 2017

7 results

Long-term oxytocin administration enhances the experience of attachment.

Bernaerts S, Prinsen J, Berra E, Bosmans G, Steyaert J, Alaerts K

Psychoneuroendocrinology15 Jan 2017Cited by 51 (Europe PMC)

PMID28131072 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.01.010 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-28131072
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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 study7

7 results from studies that gave the peptide. 7 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy young men, oxytocin treatment was associated with decreased feelings of tension in the oxytocin group but not in the placebo group.

    In plain wordsIn healthy young men, feelings of tension fell in the nasal oxytocin group but not in the placebo group.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseFeelings of tension
    Study

    n = 40

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Analysis
    Secondary
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU daily · intranasal · two weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    OT treatment was additionally associated with changes in mood, indicating decreases in feelings of tension and (tentatively) anger in the OT group, not in the placebo group.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In 40 healthy young adult men state and trait attachment were assessed before and after two weeks of daily intranasal OT (24 IU) or placebo using the State Adult Attachment Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy young men, oxytocin treatment was tentatively associated with decreased feelings of anger in the oxytocin group but not in the placebo group.

    In plain wordsIn healthy young men, feelings of anger may have fallen in the nasal oxytocin group but not in the placebo group.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseFeelings of anger
    Study

    n = 40

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Analysis
    Secondary
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU daily · intranasal · two weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    OT treatment was additionally associated with changes in mood, indicating decreases in feelings of tension and (tentatively) anger in the OT group, not in the placebo group.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In 40 healthy young adult men state and trait attachment were assessed before and after two weeks of daily intranasal OT (24 IU) or placebo using the State Adult Attachment Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy young men, the increase in social responsiveness was specific to oxytocin treatment only for reports on social motivation.

    In plain wordsIn healthy young men, nasal oxytocin raised reports of social motivation more than placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseSocial motivation
    Study

    n = 40

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Analysis
    Secondary
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU daily · intranasal · two weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Further, at the end of the two-week trial, both treatment groups (OT, placebo) reported to experience an increase in social responsiveness and quality of life, but the effects were only specific to the OT-treatment in terms of reports on 'social motivation'.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In 40 healthy young adult men state and trait attachment were assessed before and after two weeks of daily intranasal OT (24 IU) or placebo using the State Adult Attachment Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy young men, both oxytocin and placebo groups reported increased social responsiveness and quality of life, and the effects were not specific to oxytocin apart from social motivation.

    In plain wordsIn healthy young men, social responsiveness and quality of life rose in both the oxytocin and placebo groups.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeSocial responsiveness and quality of life
    Study

    n = 40

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Analysis
    Secondary
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU daily · intranasal · two weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Further, at the end of the two-week trial, both treatment groups (OT, placebo) reported to experience an increase in social responsiveness and quality of life, but the effects were only specific to the OT-treatment in terms of reports on 'social motivation'.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In 40 healthy young adult men state and trait attachment were assessed before and after two weeks of daily intranasal OT (24 IU) or placebo using the State Adult Attachment Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy young men, two weeks of daily intranasal oxytocin reduced attachment avoidance.

    In plain wordsIn healthy young men, two weeks of nasal oxytocin reduced avoidance in attachment.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAttachment avoidance
    Study

    n = 40

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU daily · intranasal · two weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Reductions in attachment avoidance
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In 40 healthy young adult men state and trait attachment were assessed before and after two weeks of daily intranasal OT (24 IU) or placebo using the State Adult Attachment Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.
  6. 06HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy young men, two weeks of daily intranasal oxytocin increased reports of attachment toward peers.

    In plain wordsIn healthy young men, two weeks of nasal oxytocin increased reported attachment toward peers.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseAttachment toward peers
    Study

    n = 40

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU daily · intranasal · two weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    increases in reports of attachment toward peers were reported after two weeks of OT treatment.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In 40 healthy young adult men state and trait attachment were assessed before and after two weeks of daily intranasal OT (24 IU) or placebo using the State Adult Attachment Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.
  7. 07HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy young men, treatment-induced changes in attachment were most pronounced for participants with less secure attachment toward their peers at baseline.

    In plain wordsIn healthy young men, changes after nasal oxytocin were largest for those with less secure attachment to peers at the start.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableTreatment response by baseline peer attachment security
    Study

    n = 40

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU daily · intranasal · two weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Further, treatment-induced changes were most pronounced for participants with less secure attachment towards their peers
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In 40 healthy young adult men state and trait attachment were assessed before and after two weeks of daily intranasal OT (24 IU) or placebo using the State Adult Attachment Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.

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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