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Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2018

5 results

Oxytocin Facilitates Approach Behavior to Positive Social Stimuli via Decreasing Anterior Insula Activity.

Yao S, Zhao W, Geng Y, Chen Y, Zhao Z, Ma X, Xu L, Becker B, Kendrick KM

The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology1 Oct 2018Cited by 49 (Europe PMC)

PMID30085122 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC6165955 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1093/ijnp/pyy068 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-30085122
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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: CC BY-NC. 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 a pharmaco-fMRI approach-avoidance task, oxytocin decreased right striatum activity irrespective of response and social context.

    In plain wordsIn a brain imaging study, oxytocin lowered activity in one brain region (the right striatum) during approach and avoidance tasks.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseRight striatum activity
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    oxytocin generally decreased activity in the right striatum irrespective of response (approach/avoidance) and social context
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized, double-blind, between-subject design, the present pharmaco-fMRI study used an approach-avoidance paradigm to investigate oxytocin's effects on approach-avoidance behavior and associated neural mechanisms.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In a pharmaco-fMRI approach-avoidance task, oxytocin selectively enhanced accuracy when approaching social positive stimuli compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn a brain imaging study, oxytocin improved accuracy when people approached positive social stimuli, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseAccuracy when approaching social positive stimuli
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    while on the behavioral level oxytocin selectively enhanced accuracy when approaching social positive stimuli
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized, double-blind, between-subject design, the present pharmaco-fMRI study used an approach-avoidance paradigm to investigate oxytocin's effects on approach-avoidance behavior and associated neural mechanisms.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    Oxytocin decreased left ventral anterior insula activity in response to social versus nonsocial positive stimuli compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn a brain imaging study, oxytocin lowered left ventral anterior insula activity for positive social versus nonsocial stimuli, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseLeft ventral anterior insula activity to social vs nonsocial positive stimuli
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    on the neural level it decreased left ventral and right dorsal anterior insula activity in response to social vs nonsocial positive stimuli compared with the placebo treatment.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized, double-blind, between-subject design, the present pharmaco-fMRI study used an approach-avoidance paradigm to investigate oxytocin's effects on approach-avoidance behavior and associated neural mechanisms.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    Oxytocin decreased right dorsal anterior insula activity in response to social versus nonsocial positive stimuli compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn a brain imaging study, oxytocin lowered right dorsal anterior insula activity for positive social versus nonsocial stimuli, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseRight dorsal anterior insula activity to social vs nonsocial positive stimuli
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    on the neural level it decreased left ventral and right dorsal anterior insula activity in response to social vs nonsocial positive stimuli compared with the placebo treatment.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized, double-blind, between-subject design, the present pharmaco-fMRI study used an approach-avoidance paradigm to investigate oxytocin's effects on approach-avoidance behavior and associated neural mechanisms.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    Left ventral anterior insula activity was negatively correlated with the accuracy difference scores in the oxytocin group but not in the placebo group.

    In plain wordsIn the oxytocin group, lower activity in one brain region went with better accuracy. This link was not seen in the placebo group.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableCorrelation of left ventral anterior insula activity with accuracy difference
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The left ventral anterior insula activity was negatively correlated with the corresponding accuracy difference scores in the oxytocin but not in the placebo group.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized, double-blind, between-subject design, the present pharmaco-fMRI study used an approach-avoidance paradigm to investigate oxytocin's effects on approach-avoidance behavior and associated neural mechanisms.

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, 02:48 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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