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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 160 · 2024

5 results

Oxytocin and social learning in socially anxious men and women.

Flechsenhar A, Levine SM, Müller LE, Herpertz SC, Bertsch K

Neuropharmacology25 Mar 2024Cited by 7 (Europe PMC)

PMID38537867 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109930 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-38537867
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
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Summary

ObjectiveThis study extended a classic self-referential learning paradigm by investigating the effects of intranasally-administered oxytocin in high and low socially anxious participants during social learning, as a function of social anxiety levels and sex.MethodsIn a randomized double-blinded design, 160 participants were either given intranasal oxytocin (24 I.U.) or placebo. Subsequently, while lying in an MR scanner, participants were shown neutral faces that were paired with positively, neutrally, or negatively valenced self-referential sentences, during which we measured self-reported arousal and sympathy of the facial stimuli, pupil dilation, and changes in the brain-oxygen-level dependent signal. Four-factor mixed analyses of variance with the between-subjects factors group (high socially anxious vs. low socially anxious), substance (oxytocin vs. placebo), and sex (male vs. female) and the within-subjects factor sentence valence (positive vs. neutral vs. negative) were conducted for each measure, respectively.ResultsAdministration of intranasal oxytocin yielded an increase in sympathy ratings in high socially anxious compared to low socially anxious individuals and decreased arousal ratings for positively-conditioned faces in low socially anxious participants. As an objective physiological measure of arousal, pupil dilation mirrored the behavioral results. Oxytocin effects on neural activation in the insula interacted with anxiety levels and sex: low socially anxious individuals yielded lower activation under oxytocin than placebo; the converse was observed in high socially anxious individuals. This interaction also differed between sexes, as men yielded higher activation levels than women. These findings were more prominent for positively- and negatively-conditioned faces. Within the amygdala, high socially anxious men yielded higher activation than high socially anxious women in the left hemisphere, and low socially anxious men yielded higher activation than low socially anxious women from positively- and negatively-conditioned faces, though no influence of oxytocin was detected.ConclusionThese results suggest oxytocin-induced behavioral, physiological, and neural changes as a function of social learning in socially low and high anxious individuals. These findings challenge the amygdalocentric view of the role of emotions in social learning, instead contributing to the growing body of findings implicating the insula therein, revealing an interaction between oxytocin, sex, and emotional valence. Such discoveries raise an interesting set of questions regarding the computational goals of regions such as the insula in emotional learning and how neural activity can play a diagnostic or prognostic role in social anxiety, potentially leading to new treatment opportunities that may combine oxytocin and neurofeedback differentially for men and women.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study5

5 results from studies that gave the peptide. 5 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In high and low socially anxious participants, intranasal oxytocin increased sympathy ratings in high compared with low socially anxious individuals.

    In plain wordsIn people with high social anxiety, oxytocin spray raised sympathy ratings for faces more than in people with low social anxiety.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseSympathy ratings of faces
    Study

    n = 160

    Comparator
    Low socially anxious individuals
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 I.U. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Administration of intranasal oxytocin yielded an increase in sympathy ratings in high socially anxious compared to low socially anxious individuals and decreased arousal ratings for positively-conditioned faces in low socially anxious participants.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized double-blinded design, 160 participants were either given intranasal oxytocin (24 I.U.) or placebo.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In low socially anxious participants, intranasal oxytocin decreased arousal ratings for positively-conditioned faces.

    In plain wordsIn people with low social anxiety, oxytocin spray lowered arousal ratings for faces linked to positive sentences.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseArousal ratings for positively-conditioned faces
    Study

    n = 160

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 I.U. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Administration of intranasal oxytocin yielded an increase in sympathy ratings in high socially anxious compared to low socially anxious individuals and decreased arousal ratings for positively-conditioned faces in low socially anxious participants.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized double-blinded design, 160 participants were either given intranasal oxytocin (24 I.U.) or placebo.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    Pupil dilation as an objective measure of arousal mirrored the behavioural results of oxytocin.

    In plain wordsPupil size changes matched the rating results seen with oxytocin spray.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    MixedPupil dilation
    Study

    n = 160

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    24 I.U. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    As an objective physiological measure of arousal, pupil dilation mirrored the behavioral results.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized double-blinded design, 160 participants were either given intranasal oxytocin (24 I.U.) or placebo.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    Oxytocin effects on insula activation interacted with anxiety level and sex: lower activation than placebo in low socially anxious individuals and the converse in high socially anxious individuals.

    In plain wordsOxytocin spray changed insula brain activity in opposite directions in people with low and high social anxiety.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    MixedInsula activation
    Study

    n = 160

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 I.U. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin effects on neural activation in the insula interacted with anxiety levels and sex: low socially anxious individuals yielded lower activation under oxytocin than placebo; the converse was observed in high socially anxious individuals.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized double-blinded design, 160 participants were either given intranasal oxytocin (24 I.U.) or placebo.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    No influence of oxytocin on amygdala activation was detected.

    In plain wordsOxytocin spray did not change amygdala brain activity.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeAmygdala activation
    Study

    n = 160

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 I.U. · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    though no influence of oxytocin was detected.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a randomized double-blinded design, 160 participants were either given intranasal oxytocin (24 I.U.) or placebo.

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, 02:47 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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