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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 15 · 2017

5 results

Intranasal oxytocin, but not vasopressin, augments neural responses to toddlers in human fathers.

Li T, Chen X, Mascaro J, Haroon E, Rilling JK

Hormones and behavior1 Feb 2017Cited by 63 (Europe PMC)

PMID28161387 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC5565399 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.01.006 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-28161387
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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 trialMechanism

    In fathers of 1-2 year old children, intranasal oxytocin significantly increased the BOLD response to pictures of their own children in the caudate nucleus, versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn fathers, nasal oxytocin raised reward-area brain activity when they viewed their own children, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseCaudate nucleus BOLD response to pictures of own children
    Study

    n = 15

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Intranasal OT, but not AVP, significantly increased the BOLD fMRI response to viewing pictures of own children within the caudate nucleus, a target of midbrain dopamine projections, as well as the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and visual cortex
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject pharmaco-functional MRI experiment, we randomized 30 fathers of 1-2year old children to receive either 24IU intranasal OT before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15) or 20IU intranasal AVP before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15).
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In fathers of 1-2 year old children, intranasal oxytocin significantly increased the BOLD response to pictures of their own children in the dorsal anterior cingulate, versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn fathers, nasal oxytocin raised brain activity in an empathy-related area when they viewed their own children, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseDorsal anterior cingulate BOLD response to pictures of own children
    Study

    n = 15

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Intranasal OT, but not AVP, significantly increased the BOLD fMRI response to viewing pictures of own children within the caudate nucleus, a target of midbrain dopamine projections, as well as the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and visual cortex
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject pharmaco-functional MRI experiment, we randomized 30 fathers of 1-2year old children to receive either 24IU intranasal OT before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15) or 20IU intranasal AVP before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15).
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In fathers of 1-2 year old children, intranasal oxytocin significantly increased the BOLD response to pictures of their own children in the visual cortex, versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn fathers, nasal oxytocin raised visual-cortex activity when they viewed their own children, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseVisual cortex BOLD response to pictures of own children
    Study

    n = 15

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Intranasal OT, but not AVP, significantly increased the BOLD fMRI response to viewing pictures of own children within the caudate nucleus, a target of midbrain dopamine projections, as well as the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and visual cortex
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject pharmaco-functional MRI experiment, we randomized 30 fathers of 1-2year old children to receive either 24IU intranasal OT before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15) or 20IU intranasal AVP before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15).
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In fathers, oxytocin given before placebo increased activation in reward-related structures (substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, putamen) more than when it was given after placebo.

    In plain wordsIn fathers, oxytocin raised reward-area activity more when it was given first than when it was given after placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseReward-structure activation by order of administration
    Study

    n = 15

    Comparator
    Oxytocin given after placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    OT effects also varied as a function of order of administration such that when OT was given before placebo, it increased activation within several reward-related structures (substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, putamen) more than when it was given after placebo.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject pharmaco-functional MRI experiment, we randomized 30 fathers of 1-2year old children to receive either 24IU intranasal OT before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15) or 20IU intranasal AVP before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15).
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In fathers, intranasal oxytocin had no significant main effect on the neural response to unknown infant cries.

    In plain wordsIn fathers, nasal oxytocin did not significantly change the brain response to infant cries.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeNeural response to infant cries
    Study

    n = 15

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Neither OT nor AVP had significant main effects on the neural response to cries.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject pharmaco-functional MRI experiment, we randomized 30 fathers of 1-2year old children to receive either 24IU intranasal OT before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15) or 20IU intranasal AVP before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15).

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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