The impact of oxytocin on emotion recognition and trust: Does disordered eating moderate these relationships?

Krug I, Fung S, Liu S, Treasure J, Huang C, Felmingham K, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, McConchie O

PloS one31 May 2024Cited by 1 (Europe PMC)

PMID38820421PMCIDPMC11142561DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0303824PepBankPUB-38820421

Summary

ObjectivesThe current study aimed to investigate the impact of oxytocin on emotion recognition, trust, body image, affect, and anxiety and whether eating disorder (ED) symptoms moderated any of these relationships.MethodParticipants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73). Participants were asked to complete an experimental measure of emotion recognition and an investor task aimed to assess trust.ResultsThe oxytocin group exhibited better overall performance on the emotion recognition task (especially with recognising positive emotions), and a decline in state positive affect than the control group at post-intervention. However, these effects were not moderated by ED symptom severity, nor were effects found for state anxiety, negative affect, body image and recognising negative emotions in the emotion recognition task.ConclusionThe current findings contribute to the growing literature on oxytocin, emotion recognition and positive affect and suggest that ED pathology does not moderate these relationships. Future research would benefit from examining the efficacy of an oxytocin intervention using a within-subjects, cross-over design, in those with sub-clinical and clinical EDs, as well as healthy controls.

CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study8

8 results from studies that gave the peptide. 8 results from people.

01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In female university students, a single dose of intranasal oxytocin improved overall emotion recognition performance versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn female students, one dose of oxytocin spray improved recognising emotions more than placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseOverall emotion recognition performance
Study
n = 149
Comparator
Placebo (saline) intranasal spray
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
The oxytocin group exhibited better overall performance on the emotion recognition task
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73).
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3882042101
02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In female university students, oxytocin improved recognition of positive emotions versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn female students, oxytocin spray improved recognising positive emotions more than placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseRecognition of positive emotions
Study
n = 149
Comparator
Placebo (saline) intranasal spray
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
The oxytocin group exhibited better overall performance on the emotion recognition task (especially with recognising positive emotions)
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73).
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3882042102
03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In female university students, oxytocin was followed by a decline in state positive affect versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn female students, positive mood fell more after oxytocin spray than after placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseState positive affect
Study
n = 149
Comparator
Placebo (saline) intranasal spray
Outcome group
Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
a decline in state positive affect than the control group at post-intervention.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73).
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3882042103
04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In female university students, eating disorder symptom severity did not moderate the effects of oxytocin.
In plain wordsIn female students, eating disorder symptoms did not change how oxytocin spray worked.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeModeration of oxytocin effects by eating disorder symptom severity
Study
n = 149
Comparator
Placebo (saline) intranasal spray
Outcome group
Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
However, these effects were not moderated by ED symptom severity
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73).
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3882042104
05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In female university students, oxytocin had no effect on state anxiety versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn female students, oxytocin spray did not change anxiety compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeState anxiety
Study
n = 149
Comparator
Placebo (saline) intranasal spray
Outcome group
Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
However, these effects were not moderated by ED symptom severity, nor were effects found for state anxiety, negative affect, body image and recognising negative emotions in the emotion recognition task.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73).
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3882042105
06HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In female university students, oxytocin had no effect on negative affect versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn female students, oxytocin spray did not change negative mood compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeNegative affect
Study
n = 149
Comparator
Placebo (saline) intranasal spray
Outcome group
Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
However, these effects were not moderated by ED symptom severity, nor were effects found for state anxiety, negative affect, body image and recognising negative emotions in the emotion recognition task.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73).
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3882042106
07HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In female university students, oxytocin had no effect on body image versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn female students, oxytocin spray did not change body image compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeBody image
Study
n = 149
Comparator
Placebo (saline) intranasal spray
Outcome group
Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
However, these effects were not moderated by ED symptom severity, nor were effects found for state anxiety, negative affect, body image and recognising negative emotions in the emotion recognition task.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73).
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3882042107
08HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In female university students, oxytocin had no effect on recognising negative emotions versus placebo.
In plain wordsIn female students, oxytocin spray did not change recognising negative emotions compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeRecognition of negative emotions
Study
n = 149
Comparator
Placebo (saline) intranasal spray
Outcome group
Cognition and memory · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
However, these effects were not moderated by ED symptom severity, nor were effects found for state anxiety, negative affect, body image and recognising negative emotions in the emotion recognition task.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73).
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-3882042108

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.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 00:50 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:47 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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