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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 46 · 2019

6 results

Oxytocin Effects on Pain Perception and Pain Anticipation.

Herpertz SC, Schmitgen MM, Fuchs C, Roth C, Wolf RC, Bertsch K, Flor H, Grinevich V, Boll S

The journal of pain19 Apr 2019Cited by 21 (Europe PMC)

PMID31009765 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.jpain.2019.04.002 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-31009765
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
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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 study6

6 results from studies that gave the peptide. 6 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men, intranasal oxytocin had no direct effect on perceived pain versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men, oxytocin had no direct effect on how much pain they felt compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changePerceived pain
    Study

    n = 46

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    OT exerted no direct effect on perceived pain
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Forty-six males received intranasally administered OT in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled group design.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In men, intranasal oxytocin modulated the BOLD response in the ventral striatum for painful versus warm unconditioned stimuli versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men, oxytocin changed brain activity in a reward-related area during painful versus warm heat stimuli, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedVentral striatum response to painful versus warm stimuli
    Study

    n = 46

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    OT was found to modulate the blood oxygen level-dependent response in the ventral striatum for painful versus warm unconditioned stimuli
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Forty-six males received intranasally administered OT in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled group design.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In men, intranasal oxytocin decreased anterior insula activity with repeated thermal pain stimuli versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men, oxytocin lowered activity in a brain area called the insula over repeated heat pain, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAnterior insula activity with repeated thermal pain stimuli
    Study

    n = 46

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    to decrease activity in the anterior insula (IS) with repeated thermal pain stimuli
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Forty-six males received intranasally administered OT in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled group design.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In men, intranasal oxytocin increased nucleus accumbens responses to the pain cue versus the minus cue, compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men, oxytocin increased activity in a reward-related brain area when they expected pain, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseNucleus accumbens response to pain-cue versus control-cue
    Study

    n = 46

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Regarding pain anticipation, OT increased responses to CSpain versus CSminus in the nucleus accumbens.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Forty-six males received intranasally administered OT in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled group design.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men, oxytocin increased correct expectations, particularly for the most certain cue-stimulus associations, compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn men, oxytocin increased correct expectations of upcoming stimuli, mostly for the most certain cues, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseCorrect expectations of stimulus
    Study

    n = 46

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    increased correct expectations, particularly for the most certain conditioned stimuli (CS)-unconditioned stimuli associations
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Forty-six males received intranasally administered OT in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled group design.
  6. 06HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In men, oxytocin condition showed the greatest deactivations in the right posterior insula for the least certain condition.

    In plain wordsIn men, oxytocin was linked to the largest drop in activity in one insula area when the cue was least certain.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseRight posterior insula deactivation for least certain condition
    Study

    n = 46

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    greatest deactivations in the right posterior IS in response to the least certain condition
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Forty-six males received intranasally administered OT in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled group design.

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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