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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 121 · 2021

3 results

Oxytocinergic Modulation of Threat-Specific Amygdala Sensitization in Humans Is Critically Mediated by Serotonergic Mechanisms.

Liu C, Lan C, Li K, Zhou F, Yao S, Xu L, Yang N, Zhou X, Yang J, Yong X, Ma Y, Scheele D, Kendrick KM, Becker B

Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging21 Apr 2021Cited by 17 (Europe PMC)

PMID33894423 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.04.009 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-33894423
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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 study3

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy subjects, intranasal oxytocin had no main or interaction effects of treatment on amygdala threat reactivity.

    In plain wordsIn healthy people, oxytocin spray did not change overall brain reactivity to threatening faces compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeAmygdala threat reactivity
    Study

    n = 121

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Analysis
    Primary
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    No main or interaction effects of treatment on amygdala threat reactivity were observed
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    we conducted a parallel-group, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind experiment during which 121 healthy subjects underwent a transient decrease in 5-HT signaling via acute tryptophan depletion or the corresponding placebo-control protocol before the administration of intranasal OXT or placeb…
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy subjects, intranasal oxytocin switched bilateral amygdala threat sensitization to desensitization.

    In plain wordsIn healthy people, oxytocin spray switched the brain's growing response to repeated threatening faces into a fading response.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseAmygdala threat sensitization
    Study

    n = 121

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    yet OXT switched bilateral amygdala threat sensitization to desensitization
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    we conducted a parallel-group, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind experiment during which 121 healthy subjects underwent a transient decrease in 5-HT signaling via acute tryptophan depletion or the corresponding placebo-control protocol before the administration of intranasal OXT or placeb…

Studies that did not test the peptide alone1

In this study, Oxytocin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Oxytocin.

  1. 03HumanNot a test of Oxytocin aloneRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy subjects, pretreatment with acute tryptophan depletion significantly attenuated the oxytocin-induced switch to amygdala desensitization.

    In plain wordsIn healthy people, lowering serotonin signaling weakened the effect of oxytocin spray on the brain's response to threatening faces.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseOxytocin effect on amygdala desensitization under tryptophan depletion
    Study

    n = 121

    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    and this effect was significantly attenuated during decreased central 5-HT signaling via pretreatment with acute tryptophan depletion.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    we conducted a parallel-group, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind experiment during which 121 healthy subjects underwent a transient decrease in 5-HT signaling via acute tryptophan depletion or the corresponding placebo-control protocol before the administration of intranasal OXT or placeb…

    In this study, Oxytocin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking 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, 02:49 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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