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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 78 · 2023

2 results

Oxytocin effects on amygdala reactivity to angry faces in males and females with antisocial personality disorder.

Jeung-Maarse H, Schmitgen MM, Schmitt R, Bertsch K, Herpertz SC

Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology20 Mar 2023Cited by 18 (Europe PMC)

PMID36941365 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC10156793 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/s41386-023-01549-9 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-36941365
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Summary

The amygdala is a key region in current neurocircuitry models of reactive aggression as it is crucially involved in detecting social threat and provocation. An increased amygdala reactivity to angry faces has been reported in aggression-prone individuals and the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) could dampen anger-related amygdala reactivity in a number of mental disorders. One example is the antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) which has so far only been studied in limited numbers. To address the question whether OT can normalize amygdala hyperreactivity to emotional faces, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment with 20 men and 18 women with ASPD and 20 male and 20 female healthy control (HC) participants in a double-blind, randomized, placebo (PLC)-controlled within-subject design. Participants were exposed to an emotion classification task (fearful, angry, and happy faces) after receiving an intranasal dose (24 IU) of synthetic OT or PLC. We found OT to attenuate right amygdala hyperactivity to angry faces in participants with ASPD to such an extent that the intensity of amygdala activity in the ASPD group in the OT condition decreased to the level of amygdala activity in the PLC condition in the HC group. There was also a trend that OT effects were generally larger in women than in men. These findings suggest that OT differentially modulates the amygdala following social threatening or provoking cues in dependence of psychopathology (ASPD vs. HC) and sex (male vs. female). Particularly female ASPD patients could benefit from OT in the treatment of reactive aggression.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study2

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    Oxytocin effects on amygdala reactivity showed only a trend of being larger in women than in men, not a significant sex difference.

    In plain wordsOxytocin effects on amygdala response tended to be larger in women than in men, but this was only a trend.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeSex difference in oxytocin effect on amygdala reactivity
    Study

    n = 78

    Comparator
    Men
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    There was also a trend that OT effects were generally larger in women than in men.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    To address the question whether OT can normalize amygdala hyperreactivity to emotional faces, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment with 20 men and 18 women with ASPD and 20 male and 20 female healthy control (HC) participants in a double-blind, randomized, placebo (PLC)-controlled within-subject design.
    Summary · context
    Participants were exposed to an emotion classification task (fearful, angry, and happy faces) after receiving an intranasal dose (24 IU) of synthetic OT or PLC.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In people with antisocial personality disorder, intranasal oxytocin attenuated right amygdala hyperactivity to angry faces to the level of healthy controls under placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people with antisocial personality disorder, oxytocin nasal spray lowered an overactive amygdala response to angry faces, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseRight amygdala reactivity to angry faces in ASPD
    Study

    n = 38

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    We found OT to attenuate right amygdala hyperactivity to angry faces in participants with ASPD to such an extent that the intensity of amygdala activity in the ASPD group in the OT condition decreased to the level of amygdala activity in the PLC condition in the HC group.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    To address the question whether OT can normalize amygdala hyperreactivity to emotional faces, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment with 20 men and 18 women with ASPD and 20 male and 20 female healthy control (HC) participants in a double-blind, randomized, placebo (PLC)-controlled within-subject design.
    Summary · context
    Participants were exposed to an emotion classification task (fearful, angry, and happy faces) after receiving an intranasal dose (24 IU) of synthetic OT or PLC.

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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