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Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2023

4 results

Oxytocin administration enhances pleasantness and neural responses to gentle stroking but not moderate pressure social touch by increasing peripheral concentrations.

Chen Y, Zou H, Hou X, Lan C, Wang J, Qing Y, Chen W, Yao S, Kendrick KM

eLife12 May 2023Cited by 14 (Europe PMC)

PMID37171081 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC10229136 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.7554/elife.85847 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-37171081
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Summary

BackgroundSocial touch constitutes a key component of human social relationships, although in some conditions with social dysfunction, such as autism, it can be perceived as unpleasant. We have previously shown that intranasal administration of oxytocin facilitates the pleasantness of social touch and activation of brain reward and social processing regions, although it is unclear if it influences responses to gentle stroking touch mediated by cutaneous C-touch fibers or pressure touch mediated by other types of fibers. Additionally, it is unclear whether endogenous oxytocin acts via direct entry into the brain or by increased peripheral blood concentrations.MethodsIn a randomized controlled design, we compared effects of intranasal (direct entry into the brain and increased peripheral concentrations) and oral (only peripheral increases) oxytocin on behavioral and neural responses to social touch targeting C-touch (gentle-stroking) or other (medium pressure without stroking) cutaneous receptors.ResultsAlthough both types of touch were perceived as pleasant, intranasal and oral oxytocin equivalently enhanced pleasantness ratings and responses of reward, orbitofrontal cortex, and social processing, superior temporal sulcus, regions only to gentle-stroking not medium pressure touch. Furthermore, increased blood oxytocin concentrations predicted the pleasantness of gentle stroking touch. The specificity of neural effects of oxytocin on C-touch targeted gentle stroking touch were confirmed by time-course extraction and classification analysis.ConclusionsIncreased peripheral concentrations of oxytocin primarily modulate its behavioral and neural responses to gentle social touch mediated by C-touch fibers. Findings have potential implications for using oxytocin therapeutically in conditions where social touch is unpleasant.FundingKey Technological Projects of Guangdong Province grant 2018B030335001.Clinical trial numberNCT05265806.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

4 results from studies that gave the peptide. 4 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants, intranasal and oral oxytocin equivalently enhanced pleasantness ratings of gentle stroking touch, but not medium pressure touch.

    In plain wordsIn the study participants, oxytocin by nose or mouth made gentle stroking touch feel more pleasant, but not medium pressure touch.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreasePleasantness ratings of gentle stroking touch
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal and oralAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Although both types of touch were perceived as pleasant, intranasal and oral oxytocin equivalently enhanced pleasantness ratings and responses of reward, orbitofrontal cortex, and social processing, superior temporal sulcus, regions only to gentle-stroking not medium pressure touch.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized controlled design, we compared effects of intranasal (direct entry into the brain and increased peripheral concentrations) and oral (only peripheral increases) oxytocin on behavioral and neural responses to social touch targeting C-touch (gentle-stroking) or other (medium pressure without stroking) cutaneous receptors.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In participants, intranasal and oral oxytocin enhanced responses in reward, orbitofrontal cortex and superior temporal sulcus regions to gentle stroking touch.

    In plain wordsIn the study participants, oxytocin by nose or mouth increased brain responses to gentle stroking touch in reward and social regions.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseReward and social-processing brain responses to gentle stroking touch
    Study

    n: not reported in source

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    intranasal and oral oxytocin equivalently enhanced pleasantness ratings and responses of reward, orbitofrontal cortex, and social processing, superior temporal sulcus, regions only to gentle-stroking not medium pressure touch.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized controlled design, we compared effects of intranasal (direct entry into the brain and increased peripheral concentrations) and oral (only peripheral increases) oxytocin on behavioral and neural responses to social touch targeting C-touch (gentle-stroking) or other (medium pressure without stroking) cutaneous receptors.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In participants, oxytocin did not enhance pleasantness or brain responses to medium pressure touch without stroking.

    In plain wordsIn the study participants, oxytocin did not change the pleasantness or brain responses to medium pressure touch.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeResponses to medium pressure touch
    Study

    n: not reported in source

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Although both types of touch were perceived as pleasant, intranasal and oral oxytocin equivalently enhanced pleasantness ratings and responses of reward, orbitofrontal cortex, and social processing, superior temporal sulcus, regions only to gentle-stroking not medium pressure touch.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized controlled design, we compared effects of intranasal (direct entry into the brain and increased peripheral concentrations) and oral (only peripheral increases) oxytocin on behavioral and neural responses to social touch targeting C-touch (gentle-stroking) or other (medium pressure without stroking) cutaneous receptors.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In participants given oxytocin, increased blood oxytocin concentrations predicted the pleasantness of gentle stroking touch.

    In plain wordsIn the study participants given oxytocin, higher blood oxytocin levels were linked to gentle stroking touch feeling more pleasant.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableAssociation of blood oxytocin concentration with pleasantness of gentle stroking
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasal and oralAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Furthermore, increased blood oxytocin concentrations predicted the pleasantness of gentle stroking touch.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized controlled design, we compared effects of intranasal (direct entry into the brain and increased peripheral concentrations) and oral (only peripheral increases) oxytocin on behavioral and neural responses to social touch targeting C-touch (gentle-stroking) or other (medium pressure without stroking) cutaneous receptors.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Registered trials1

Trials this study reports on, or that list this study as a reference. Registry data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

1 trial · 1 completed · source ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

CompletedNot applicableNCT05265806

The Effects of Oxytocin Treatment on Social Touch

University of Electronic Science and Technology of Chinan = 1801 Sept 2021 to 25 May 2022

Healthy

Trial pageClinicalTrials.govUpdated 11 May 2023

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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