Cited by 366Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorInfant Health and DevelopmentNeuroscience and Music Perception

Oxytocin modulates amygdala, insula, and inferior frontal gyrus responses to infant crying: a randomized controlled trial

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Riem, Madelon M.E., Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J., Pieper, Suzanne, Tops, Mattie, Boksem, Maarten A.S., Vermeiren, Robert R.J.M., van IJzendoorn, Marinus H., Rombouts, Serge A.R.B.·2011·Biological Psychiatry

Abstract

Background Oxytocin facilitates parental caregiving and mother-infant bonding and might be involved in responses to infant crying. Infant crying provides information about the physical status and mood of the infant and elicits parental proximity and caregiving. Oxytocin might modulate the activation of brain structures involved in the perception of cry sounds-specifically the insula, the amygdala, and the thalamocingulate circuit-and thereby affect responsiveness to infant crying.Method In a randomized controlled trial we investigated the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on neural responses to infant crying with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Blood oxygenation level-dependent responses to infant crying were measured in 21 women who were administered oxytocin and 21 women who were administered a placebo.Results Induced oxytocin levels reduced, experimentally, activation in the amygdala and increased activation in the insula and inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis.Conclusions Our findings suggest that oxytocin promotes responsiveness to infant crying by reducing activation in the neural circuitry for anxiety and aversion and increasing activation in regions involved in empathy.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.02.006

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  • OXT altered neural responses to infant crying in samples in which the majority of women used HC.

    “OXT altered neural responses to infant crying (Riem et al., 2011)”
  • There are studies in which OXT has produced social effects in women using HC.

    “there are also studies in which OXT has produced social effects in women using HC.”
  • Intranasal oxytocin seems to increase empathy circuit activity in parents responding to baby cry.

    “increase empathy circuit activity in parents responding to baby cry (42).”

    From Neuroendocrinology of Parental Response to Baby‐Cry (2011) · cites this paper as [42]

  • Intranasal oxytocin seems to decrease anxiety in parents responding to baby cry.

    “intranasal oxytocin seems to both decrease anxiety”

    From Neuroendocrinology of Parental Response to Baby‐Cry (2011) · cites this paper as [42]

  • In mothers, increased amygdala activation to infant stimuli can be associated with more positive responses to one's own infant, whereas in typical adults it is interpreted as a more negative response.

    “Thus, while increased activation of the amygdala to infant stimuli is interpreted as a more negative response to infants among typical adults (Riem et al., 2011), in mothers, it can be associated with more positive responses to one’s own infant (Barrett et al., 2012).”

    From The maternal brain and its plasticity in humans (2016) · cites this paper as Riem et al., 2011

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Authors
Riem, M. M. E., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Pieper, S., Tops, M., Boksem, M. A. S., Vermeiren, R. R. J. M., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Rombouts, S. A. R. B.
Affiliations
  • Leiden University (NL)
  • Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
  • Leiden University Medical Center (NL)
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-08
Volume
70
Issue
3
Pages
291-297
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2163954344
Cited by
366
References
90
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 28
FWCI
52.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion)
  • Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
Keywords
oxytocin, infant crying, amygdala, insula, inferior frontal gyrus, maternal responsiveness, mother-infant bonding, parental care, empathy, anxiety, aversion
MeSH terms
Adult, Amygdala, Auditory Perception, Cerebral Cortex, Crying, Empathy, Female, Frontal Lobe, Humans, Middle Aged, Neurons, Oxytocin

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