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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 194 · 2019

4 results

Oxytocin enhances the pain-relieving effects of social support in romantic couples.

Kreuder AK, Wassermann L, Wollseifer M, Ditzen B, Eckstein M, Stoffel-Wagner B, Hennig J, Hurlemann R, Scheele D

Human brain mapping28 Aug 2018Cited by 44 (Europe PMC)

PMID30152573 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC6865468 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1002/hbm.24368 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-30152573
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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 study4

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy volunteers, intranasal oxytocin further attenuated the unpleasantness of electric shocks across social support conditions versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy volunteers, oxytocin spray made electric shocks feel less unpleasant across conditions, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseUnpleasantness of electric shocks
    Study

    n = 194

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    OXT further attenuated the unpleasantness across conditions.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In the present randomized placebo-controlled, between-group, functional magnetic resonance imaging study involving 194 healthy volunteers (97 heterosexual couples), we tested the effects of intranasal OXT (24 IU) on handholding as a common mode of expressing emotional support in romantic couples.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy volunteers, intranasal oxytocin augmented the effect of partner support with a stronger decrease of neural responses to shocks in the anterior insula versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy volunteers, oxytocin spray strengthened the drop in a pain-related brain response when a partner held their hand, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAnterior insula response to shocks with partner support
    Study

    n = 194

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    a stronger decrease of neural responses to shocks in the anterior insula (AI)
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In the present randomized placebo-controlled, between-group, functional magnetic resonance imaging study involving 194 healthy volunteers (97 heterosexual couples), we tested the effects of intranasal OXT (24 IU) on handholding as a common mode of expressing emotional support in romantic couples.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy volunteers, intranasal oxytocin augmented the effect of partner support with a stronger activity increase in the middle frontal gyrus versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy volunteers, oxytocin spray strengthened the rise in activity in a control-related brain area when a partner held their hand, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseMiddle frontal gyrus activity with partner support
    Study

    n = 194

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    a stronger activity increase in the middle frontal gyrus (MFG)
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In the present randomized placebo-controlled, between-group, functional magnetic resonance imaging study involving 194 healthy volunteers (97 heterosexual couples), we tested the effects of intranasal OXT (24 IU) on handholding as a common mode of expressing emotional support in romantic couples.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy volunteers, intranasal oxytocin augmented the effect of partner support with a strengthened functional coupling between the anterior insula and the middle frontal gyrus versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy volunteers, oxytocin spray strengthened the link between two brain areas when a partner held their hand, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseFunctional coupling between anterior insula and middle frontal gyrus
    Study

    n = 194

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    a strengthened functional coupling between the AI and MFG.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In the present randomized placebo-controlled, between-group, functional magnetic resonance imaging study involving 194 healthy volunteers (97 heterosexual couples), we tested the effects of intranasal OXT (24 IU) on handholding as a common mode of expressing emotional support in romantic couples.

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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