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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 112 · 2023

3 results

The relationship between oxytocin and empathy for others' pain: Testing the mediating effect of first-hand pain sensitivity.

Lin C, Zhuo S, Zheng Q, Li X, Peng W

Physiology & behavior9 Jun 2023Cited by 6 (Europe PMC)

PMID37301493 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114266 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-37301493
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
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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

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy adults, the fall in pressure pain threshold over repeated measurements was smaller with intranasal oxytocin than with placebo, which means less first-hand pain sensitivity.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults, oxytocin nasal spray reduced the rise in pain sensitivity over repeated tests, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseFirst-hand pain sensitivity (pressure pain threshold decline over time)
    Study

    n = 112

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Results showed that pressure pain thresholds decreased over time in both groups, indicating increased sensitivity to first-hand pain after repeated measurements. However, this decrease was smaller for participants who received intranasal oxytocin, indicative of oxytocin-induced attenuation of first-…
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-participant experimental design, healthy participants (n = 112) were randomly assigned to either an intranasal oxytocin or placebo group.
    Summary · context
    Pain sensitivity was evaluated by pressure pain threshold, and empathetic responses were assessed by ratings in response to viewing video clips depicting others in physically painful scenarios.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy adults, ratings of empathy for others' pain were comparable between the oxytocin and placebo groups.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults, oxytocin did not change empathy ratings for other people's pain compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeEmpathetic ratings for others' pain
    Study

    n = 112

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    empathetic ratings were comparable between oxytocin and placebo groups
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-participant experimental design, healthy participants (n = 112) were randomly assigned to either an intranasal oxytocin or placebo group.
    Summary · context
    Pain sensitivity was evaluated by pressure pain threshold, and empathetic responses were assessed by ratings in response to viewing video clips depicting others in physically painful scenarios.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy adults, first-hand pain sensitivity fully mediated the effect of intranasal oxytocin on empathetic ratings for others' pain.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults, oxytocin affected empathy ratings only indirectly, through its effect on the person's own pain sensitivity.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableMediation of oxytocin effect on empathy ratings by first-hand pain sensitivity
    Study

    n = 112

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    first-hand pain sensitivity fully mediated the impact of oxytocin on pain empathetic ratings.
    3 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Thus, intranasal oxytocin can indirectly affect pain empathetic ratings by reducing first-hand pain sensitivity.
    Summary · context
    Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-participant experimental design, healthy participants (n = 112) were randomly assigned to either an intranasal oxytocin or placebo group.
    Summary · context
    Pain sensitivity was evaluated by pressure pain threshold, and empathetic responses were assessed by ratings in response to viewing video clips depicting others in physically painful scenarios.

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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