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Study · Non-randomized trial · 2020

7 results

Placebo Effects in the Neuroendocrine System: Conditioning of the Oxytocin Responses.

Skvortsova A, Veldhuijzen DS, Pacheco-Lopez G, Bakermans-Kranenburg M, van IJzendoorn M, Smeets MAM, Wilderjans TF, Dahan A, van den Bergh O, Chavannes NH, van der Wee NJA, Grewen KM, van Middendorp H, Evers AWM

Psychosomatic medicine1 Jan 2020Cited by 7 (Europe PMC)

PMID31609920 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC6946094 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1097/psy.0000000000000759 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-31609920
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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-ND. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study7

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. 2 results from people.

  1. 01HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome

    In women, exogenous oxytocin spray did not affect pain sensitivity.

    In plain wordsIn women, oxytocin nasal spray did not change pain sensitivity.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changePain sensitivity after exogenous oxytocin
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo spray
    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · three evocation daysAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Neither exogenous nor conditioned oxytocin affected pain
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Subsequently, the conditioned and control groups received placebo spray with the CS and the drug control group received oxytocin spray for three evocation days.
    Summary · context
    Ninety-nine women were assigned to a conditioned, control, or drug control group.
  2. 02HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome

    In women, exogenous oxytocin spray did not affect facial evaluation tasks.

    In plain wordsIn women, oxytocin nasal spray did not change how they judged faces.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeFacial evaluation tasks after exogenous oxytocin
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo spray
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal · three evocation daysAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Neither exogenous nor conditioned oxytocin affected pain or facial tasks.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Subsequently, the conditioned and control groups received placebo spray with the CS and the drug control group received oxytocin spray for three evocation days.
    Summary · context
    Ninety-nine women were assigned to a conditioned, control, or drug control group.

Natural levels measured5

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

  1. 03HumanEndogenous levelNon-randomized trialOther

    In women in the conditioned group, salivary oxytocin rose from baseline to 5 minutes after the conditioned stimulus on evocation day 1 although they received placebo spray.

    In plain wordsIn women who got placebo spray with a smell cue, the body's own oxytocin rose after the cue on day 1.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseSalivary oxytocin after conditioned stimulus on evocation day 1
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Sex hormones and fertility · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    On evocation day 1, in the conditioned group, oxytocin significantly increased from baseline to 5 minutes after CS (B[slope] = 19.55, SE = 5.88, p < .001)
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Subsequently, the conditioned and control groups received placebo spray with the CS and the drug control group received oxytocin spray for three evocation days.
    Summary · context
    Ninety-nine women were assigned to a conditioned, control, or drug control group.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  2. 04HumanEndogenous levelNon-randomized trialOther

    In the conditioned group, salivary oxytocin showed only a trend for increase at 5 minutes on evocation day 2.

    In plain wordsIn women who got placebo spray with a smell cue, the body's own oxytocin showed only a possible rise on day 2.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeSalivary oxytocin at 5 minutes on evocation day 2
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Sex hormones and fertility · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    On evocation day 2, a trend for increase in oxytocin was found at 5 minutes (B = 15.22, SE = 8.14, p = .062).
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Subsequently, the conditioned and control groups received placebo spray with the CS and the drug control group received oxytocin spray for three evocation days.
    Summary · context
    Ninety-nine women were assigned to a conditioned, control, or drug control group.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  3. 05HumanEndogenous levelNon-randomized trialOther

    In the conditioned group, no placebo effect on salivary oxytocin was found on evocation day 3.

    In plain wordsIn women who got placebo spray with a smell cue, the body's own oxytocin did not rise on day 3.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeSalivary oxytocin on evocation day 3
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Sex hormones and fertility · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    No placebo effect was found on evocation day 3 (B = 3.57, SE = 3.26, p = .28).
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Subsequently, the conditioned and control groups received placebo spray with the CS and the drug control group received oxytocin spray for three evocation days.
    Summary · context
    Ninety-nine women were assigned to a conditioned, control, or drug control group.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  4. 06HumanEndogenous levelNon-randomized trialOther

    In women, conditioned oxytocin release did not affect pain sensitivity.

    In plain wordsIn women, the body's own oxytocin released by conditioning did not change pain sensitivity.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changePain sensitivity after conditioned oxytocin release
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Neither exogenous nor conditioned oxytocin affected pain or facial tasks.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Subsequently, the conditioned and control groups received placebo spray with the CS and the drug control group received oxytocin spray for three evocation days.
    Summary · context
    Ninety-nine women were assigned to a conditioned, control, or drug control group.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  5. 07HumanEndogenous levelNon-randomized trialOther

    In women, conditioned oxytocin release did not affect facial evaluation tasks.

    In plain wordsIn women, the body's own oxytocin released by conditioning did not change how they judged faces.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeFacial evaluation tasks after conditioned oxytocin release
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Neither exogenous nor conditioned oxytocin affected pain or facial tasks.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Subsequently, the conditioned and control groups received placebo spray with the CS and the drug control group received oxytocin spray for three evocation days.
    Summary · context
    Ninety-nine women were assigned to a conditioned, control, or drug control group.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

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, 00:50 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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