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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 13 · 2021

6 results

Oxytocin attenuates neural response to emotional faces in social drinkers: an fMRI study.

Bach P, Koopmann A, Bumb JM, Zimmermann S, Bühler S, Reinhard I, Witt SH, Rietschel M, Vollstädt-Klein S, Kiefer F

European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience19 Feb 2020Cited by 15 (Europe PMC)

PMID32076819 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC8236029 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1007/s00406-020-01115-0 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-32076819
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Summary

IntroductionOxytocin is a key mediator of emotional and social behavior that seems to be of relevance for the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. We thus investigated the effect of oxytocin on neural response and behavior during a face-matching task in a sample of social drinkers.MethodsThirteen social drinkers underwent a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging face-matching task with and without prior intranasal application of 24 international units oxytocin. Effects of oxytocin and task condition (faces, shapes) on brain activation and individual task performance were assessed.ResultsFace-matching compared to shape-matching trials resulted in higher brain activation in the bilateral amygdala, hippocampus and parts of the occipital gyri. Oxytocin application vs. placebo reduced activation in bilateral amygdala, parts of the frontal gyri, and the parietal lobe. Region of interest analyses indicated that the oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response was specific to face-stimuli and associated with lower subjective alcohol craving, and a lower percentage of heavy-drinking days (defined as ≥ 5 standard drinks/day).ConclusionFor the first time, we could show that a larger oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response to fearful faces is associated with lower subjective craving for alcohol and percentage of heavy drinking days in social drinkers. Modulation of amygdala activation, induced by emotional stimuli, might represent a neurobiological substrate of oxytocin's protective effects on drug seeking behavior.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study6

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In social drinkers, intranasal oxytocin reduced activation in the bilateral amygdala versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn social drinkers, oxytocin lowered activity in the brain's emotion centre (amygdala) compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseBilateral amygdala activation during face matching
    Study

    n = 13

    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
    Oxytocin application vs. placebo reduced activation in bilateral amygdala
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirteen social drinkers underwent a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging face-matching task with and without prior intranasal application of 24 international units oxytocin.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In social drinkers, intranasal oxytocin reduced activation in parts of the frontal gyri versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn social drinkers, oxytocin lowered activity in parts of the frontal brain compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseFrontal gyri activation during face matching
    Study

    n = 13

    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
    Oxytocin application vs. placebo reduced activation in bilateral amygdala, parts of the frontal gyri
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirteen social drinkers underwent a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging face-matching task with and without prior intranasal application of 24 international units oxytocin.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In social drinkers, intranasal oxytocin reduced activation in parts of the parietal lobe versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn social drinkers, oxytocin lowered activity in parts of the parietal brain compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseParietal lobe activation during face matching
    Study

    n = 13

    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
    Oxytocin application vs. placebo reduced activation in bilateral amygdala, parts of the frontal gyri, and the parietal lobe
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirteen social drinkers underwent a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging face-matching task with and without prior intranasal application of 24 international units oxytocin.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In social drinkers, the oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response was specific to face stimuli.

    In plain wordsIn social drinkers, oxytocin lowered amygdala activity for faces but not for shapes.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseFace-specificity of amygdala attenuation
    Study

    n = 13

    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
    Region of interest analyses indicated that the oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response was specific to face-stimuli
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirteen social drinkers underwent a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging face-matching task with and without prior intranasal application of 24 international units oxytocin.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In social drinkers, the oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response was associated with lower subjective alcohol craving.

    In plain wordsIn social drinkers, a larger oxytocin-linked drop in amygdala activity was linked to lower alcohol craving.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableAssociation of amygdala attenuation with alcohol craving
    Study

    n = 13

    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
    Region of interest analyses indicated that the oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response was specific to face-stimuli and associated with lower subjective alcohol craving
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirteen social drinkers underwent a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging face-matching task with and without prior intranasal application of 24 international units oxytocin.
  6. 06HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In social drinkers, the oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response was associated with a lower percentage of heavy-drinking days.

    In plain wordsIn social drinkers, a larger oxytocin-linked drop in amygdala activity was linked to fewer heavy-drinking days.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableAssociation of amygdala attenuation with heavy-drinking days
    Study

    n = 13

    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
    Region of interest analyses indicated that the oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response was specific to face-stimuli and associated with lower subjective alcohol craving, and a lower percentage of heavy-drinking days
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Thirteen social drinkers underwent a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging face-matching task with and without prior intranasal application of 24 international units oxytocin.

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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