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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 28 · 2025

4 results

Oxytocin differentially modulates reward system responses to social and non-social incentives.

Thurston MD, Ericksen LC, Jacobson MM, Bustamante A, Koppelmans V, Mickey BJ, Love TM

Psychopharmacology4 Oct 2024Cited by 5 (Europe PMC)

PMID39365438 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC11861123 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1007/s00213-024-06695-6 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-39365438
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Summary

RationaleOxytocin has been shown to modulate behavior related to processing of monetary incentives and to regulate social and reproductive behavior, yet little is known about how oxytocin differentially influences neural responses to social and non-social incentives.ObjectivesWe aimed to evaluate the effects of oxytocin administration on behavioral and neural responses to social and monetary incentives.MethodsTwenty-eight healthy adults (age 18-45 years) performed both monetary and social incentive tasks during blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) imaging. Intranasal oxytocin or placebo was administered before each scan using a double blind, randomized, cross-over design. Task performance and self-reported motivation and mood states were collected. Time-series analysis was conducted to assess the influence of oxytocin on the hemodynamic response in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra (VTA/SN) and nucleus accumbens (NAc).ResultsOxytocin demonstrated a multifaceted effect on VTA/SN and NAc when processing reward incentives, with it increasing BOLD response in VTA/SN and decreasing BOLD response in NAc during social incentive anticipation. A reversal of this was shown with decreased BOLD responses in the VTA/SN and increased BOLD response in the NAc during monetary incentive anticipation.ConclusionsOur findings suggest a more nuanced purpose of oxytocin when evaluating reward incentive decision making. It is possible that while oxytocin does increase salience to rewards, that it is more important for cognitive control when determining short-term versus long-term benefits in rewards. Future studies should more closely examine the relationship between oxytocin and delay discounting.
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 trialMechanism

    In healthy adults, intranasal oxytocin increased the BOLD response in the VTA/SN during social incentive anticipation compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults, oxytocin raised brain activity in a reward-related region during anticipation of social rewards compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseVTA/SN BOLD response during social incentive anticipation
    Study

    n = 28

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin demonstrated a multifaceted effect on VTA/SN and NAc when processing reward incentives, with it increasing BOLD response in VTA/SN and decreasing BOLD response in NAc during social incentive anticipation.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Twenty-eight healthy adults (age 18-45 years) performed both monetary and social incentive tasks during blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) imaging.
    Summary · context
    Intranasal oxytocin or placebo was administered before each scan using a double blind, randomized, cross-over design.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy adults, intranasal oxytocin decreased the BOLD response in the nucleus accumbens during social incentive anticipation compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults, oxytocin lowered brain activity in the nucleus accumbens during anticipation of social rewards compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseNAc BOLD response during social incentive anticipation
    Study

    n = 28

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin demonstrated a multifaceted effect on VTA/SN and NAc when processing reward incentives, with it increasing BOLD response in VTA/SN and decreasing BOLD response in NAc during social incentive anticipation.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Twenty-eight healthy adults (age 18-45 years) performed both monetary and social incentive tasks during blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) imaging.
    Summary · context
    Intranasal oxytocin or placebo was administered before each scan using a double blind, randomized, cross-over design.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy adults, intranasal oxytocin decreased the BOLD response in the VTA/SN during monetary incentive anticipation compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults, oxytocin lowered activity in a reward-related brain region during anticipation of money rewards compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseVTA/SN BOLD response during monetary incentive anticipation
    Study

    n = 28

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    A reversal of this was shown with decreased BOLD responses in the VTA/SN and increased BOLD response in the NAc during monetary incentive anticipation.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Twenty-eight healthy adults (age 18-45 years) performed both monetary and social incentive tasks during blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) imaging.
    Summary · context
    Intranasal oxytocin or placebo was administered before each scan using a double blind, randomized, cross-over design.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy adults, intranasal oxytocin increased the BOLD response in the nucleus accumbens during monetary incentive anticipation compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults, oxytocin raised activity in the nucleus accumbens during anticipation of money rewards compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseNAc BOLD response during monetary incentive anticipation
    Study

    n = 28

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    A reversal of this was shown with decreased BOLD responses in the VTA/SN and increased BOLD response in the NAc during monetary incentive anticipation.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Twenty-eight healthy adults (age 18-45 years) performed both monetary and social incentive tasks during blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) imaging.
    Summary · context
    Intranasal oxytocin or placebo was administered before each scan using a double blind, randomized, cross-over design.

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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