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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 16 · 2021

3 results

Oxytocin modulates local topography of human functional connectome in healthy men at rest.

Martins D, Dipasquale O, Paloyelis Y

Communications biology15 Jan 2021Cited by 9 (Europe PMC)

PMID33452496 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC7811009 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/s42003-020-01610-z (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-33452496
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Summary

Oxytocin has recently received remarkable attention for its role as a modulator of human behaviour. Here, we aimed to expand our knowledge of the neural circuits engaged by oxytocin by investigating the effects of intranasal and intravenous oxytocin on the functional connectome at rest in 16 healthy men. Oxytocin modulates the functional connectome within discrete neural systems, but does not affect the global capacity for information transfer. These local effects encompass key hubs of the oxytocin system (e.g. amygdala) but also regions overlooked in previous hypothesis-driven research (i.e. the visual circuits, temporal lobe and cerebellum). Increases in levels of oxytocin in systemic circulation induce broad effects on the functional connectome, yet we provide indirect evidence supporting the involvement of nose-to-brain pathways in at least some of the observed changes after intranasal oxytocin. Together, our results suggest that oxytocin effects on human behaviour entail modulation of multiple levels of brain processing distributed across different systems.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study3

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. 3 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy men at rest, oxytocin modulated the functional connectome within discrete neural systems.

    In plain wordsIn healthy men at rest, oxytocin changed brain connectivity within specific neural systems.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableFunctional connectome within discrete neural systems
    Study

    n = 16

    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal and intravenousAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin modulates the functional connectome within discrete neural systems
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Here, we aimed to expand our knowledge of the neural circuits engaged by oxytocin by investigating the effects of intranasal and intravenous oxytocin on the functional connectome at rest in 16 healthy men.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy men at rest, oxytocin did not affect the global capacity for information transfer of the functional connectome.

    In plain wordsIn healthy men at rest, oxytocin did not change the brain's overall capacity to transfer information.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeGlobal capacity for information transfer in the connectome
    Study

    n = 16

    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal and intravenousAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    but does not affect the global capacity for information transfer.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Here, we aimed to expand our knowledge of the neural circuits engaged by oxytocin by investigating the effects of intranasal and intravenous oxytocin on the functional connectome at rest in 16 healthy men.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy men at rest, local oxytocin effects covered key oxytocin system hubs such as the amygdala and also visual circuits, temporal lobe and cerebellum.

    In plain wordsIn healthy men at rest, oxytocin changed local brain connectivity in the amygdala and also in visual areas, temporal lobe and cerebellum.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableLocal connectome effects in amygdala, visual circuits, temporal lobe and cerebellum
    Study

    n = 16

    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal and intravenousAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    These local effects encompass key hubs of the oxytocin system (e.g. amygdala) but also regions overlooked in previous hypothesis-driven research (i.e. the visual circuits, temporal lobe and cerebellum).
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Here, we aimed to expand our knowledge of the neural circuits engaged by oxytocin by investigating the effects of intranasal and intravenous oxytocin on the functional connectome at rest in 16 healthy men.

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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