CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 136Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorAttachment and Relationship DynamicsHuman-Animal Interaction Studies

Dissecting the Role of Oxytocin in the Formation and Loss of Social Relationships

Open access
Hurlemann, René, Scheele, Dirk·2016·Biological Psychiatry
DOI 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.05.013
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Current concepts of human sociality highlight a fundamental role of the hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OXT) in the formation and maintenance of social relationships. However, emerging evidence indicates that OXT does not invariably facilitate social bonding but also produces nonprosocial effects that may have evolved to promote offspring survival. From a mechanistic perspective, we hypothesize that OXT modulates interoceptive signals and self-referential processing, which may result in various social outcomes depending on context- and person-dependent variables such as early-life adversity. Based on this theoretical framework, we discuss translational implications for clinical trials and identify open questions for future research. Specifically, we propose that disrupted OXT signaling due to the loss of affectionate bonds may contribute to emotional disequilibrium and confer elevated risk for the onset of stress-related disorders.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This review argues that oxytocin (OXT) does not uniformly promote social bonding; its effects depend on context and person-level factors such as early-life adversity. The authors propose that OXT modulates interoceptive signals and self-referential processing, which can yield prosocial or nonprosocial outcomes and may link disrupted OXT signaling after bond loss to stress-related disorders.

Key findings

  • OXT is implicated in attachment across species, from pair bonding in monogamous prairie voles to infant-caregiver and romantic attachment in humans, but evidence also shows nonprosocial or context-dependent effects, including increased intimate partner violence inclinations in aggression-prone participants and more anxiety during psychotherapy augmentation in depressed patients.
  • Intranasal OXT (OXT IN) effects are moderated by person and context: a single 24-IU dose increased perceived attachment security in insecure male adults, while 24-IU but not 48-IU attenuated cortisol responses to physical stress; OXT IN also increased NAcc responses to a partner’s face versus an unfamiliar woman in pair-bonded men.
  • The authors propose a self-reference model: OXT may induce a self-referential processing bias and modulate interoception, helping explain findings such as sharpened self-other perceptual boundaries, higher self-reported extraversion/openness, and enhanced pleasantness only in positively framed social touch contexts.
  • Translational implications include testing OXT for withdrawal after relationship breakup and combining OXT IN with social or nonpharmacologic interventions, but the authors note that long-term and dose effects remain uncertain.

Methods

  • Design: narrative review and theoretical synthesis, not an empirical study.
  • Data/sample: no primary sample; the paper reviews animal and human studies of OXT, OXTR, attachment, parenting, pair bonding, and related clinical implications.
  • Main analysis: integrates cross-species and human evidence to propose a self-reference/interoception model of OXT and to identify open questions for future research.

Limitations

  • The paper states that its self-reference model is preliminary and that future studies are warranted to selectively test its predictions.
  • The paper states that the exact transnasal route by which OXT reaches the brain is unclear, that peripheral OXT measurement is hampered by methodological issues, and that peripheral and central OXT concentrations lack a strong linear relationship.
  • The paper states that no study has examined behavioral and neural effects of OXT IN on partner stimuli in women, that the optimal OXT dose is elusive, and that dose-response investigations are needed; evident from the text, as a narrative review it does not report a systematic search strategy or formal quality appraisal.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.05.013

Cites

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 61 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data

    Intranasal administration of oxytocin increased nucleus accumbens (NAcc) response to the female partner's face compared with a matched, unfamiliar woman.

    “The intranasal administration of OXT increased NAcc response to the female partner's face compared with a matched, unfamiliar woman.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Premisecitation

    Social support by proximal others is a key resilience factor promoting successful coping with and adaptation to psychosocial stress.

    “For instance, social support by proximal others has been identified as a key resilience factor promoting successful coping with and adaptation to psychosocial stress (2).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [2] Feder, 2009, Psychobiology and molecular genetics of resilience, Nat Rev Neurosci source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Interpretationreasoning

    Oxytocin signaling has a pivotal role in sustaining mental health.

    “The loss of such affectionate bonds is associated with agonizing distress and elevated risk for the onset of multiple psychiatric disorders (4), suggesting that OXT signaling has a pivotal role in sustaining mental health.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Premisecitation

    Species differences in social relationships are not restricted to the oxytocin system per se but extend to other signaling pathways, including dopamine and arginine vasopressin, and their reciprocal interactions.

    “However, accumulating evidence suggests that species differences in social relationships are not restricted to the OXT system per se but extend to other signaling pathways, including dopamine (DA) and argininevasopressin (AVP), and their reciprocal interactions (14,15).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [14] Aragona, 2006, Nucleus accumbens dopamine differentially mediates the formation and maintenance of monogamous pair bonds, Nat Neurosci source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [15] Johnson, 2015, Neurobiological mechanisms of social attachment and pair bonding, Curr Opin Behav Sci source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Premisecitation

    Intranasal delivery of synthetic oxytocin causes an increase in cerebrospinal fluid levels of oxytocin.

    “OXT IN causes an increase in CSF levels of OXT (45), although we note that the exact transnasal route the peptide takes to reach the brain is still unclear and even a peripheral feedback mechanism enhancing endogenous release cannot be excluded.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [45] Striepens, 2013, Elevated cerebrospinal fluid and blood concentrations of oxytocin following its intranasal administration in humans, Sci Rep source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims. 28
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 5

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The loss of affectionate bonds is associated with agonizing distress and elevated risk for the onset of multiple psychiatric disorders.

    “The loss of such affectionate bonds is associated with agonizing distress and elevated risk for the onset of multiple psychiatric disorders (4), suggesting that OXT signaling has a pivotal role in sustaining mental health.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [4] Keyes, 2014, The burden of loss: Unexpected death of a loved one and psychiatric disorders across the life course in a national study, Am J Psychiatry source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Brain distribution of the oxytocin receptor significantly differs between monogamous prairie voles and polygamous montane voles, with high oxytocin receptor density in prelimbic cortex and nucleus accumbens being crucial for monogamous behavior.

    “While the expression of OXT is similar among both species (11), brain distribution of the OXTR significantly differs between them, with high OXTR density in the prelimbic cortex and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) being crucial for the expression of monogamous behavior (12,13).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [12] Shapiro, 1992, Oxytocin receptor distribution reflects social organization in monogamous and polygamous voles, Ann N Y Acad Sci source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [13] Young, 2001, Cellular mechanisms of social attachment, Horm Behav source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    Oxytocin does not invariably facilitate social bonding but also produces nonprosocial effects that may have evolved to promote offspring survival.

    “However, emerging evidence indicates that OXT does not invariably facilitate social bonding but also produces nonprosocial effects that may have evolved to promote offspring survival.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S1 (asserted), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    Oxytocin modulates interoceptive signals and self-referential processing, which may result in various social outcomes depending on context- and person-dependent variables such as early-life adversity.

    “From a mechanistic perspective, we hypothesize that OXT modulates interoceptive signals and self-referential processing, which may result in various social outcomes depending on context-and persondependent variables such as early-life adversity.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Disrupted oxytocin signaling due to the loss of affectionate bonds may contribute to emotional disequilibrium and confer elevated risk for the onset of stress-related disorders.

    “Specifically, we propose that disrupted OXT signaling due to the loss of affectionate bonds may contribute to emotional disequilibrium and confer elevated risk for the onset of stress-related disorders.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The arginine vasopressin/oxytocin and dopamine systems closely interact in a site- and sex-specific manner to mediate partner preference formation, and similar cross-talk may also determine parenting styles.

    “Current concepts hold that the AVP/OXT and DA systems closely interact in a site-and sex-specific manner to mediate partner preference formation, and similar cross-talk may also determine parenting styles (17).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [17] Bosch, 2012, Both oxytocin and vasopressin are mediators of maternal care and aggression in rodents: From central release to sites of action, Horm Behav source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Lower than normal cerebrospinal fluid levels of oxytocin were measured in adult women with a history of childhood trauma and abuse, as well as in the urine of socially deprived children interacting with their mothers.

    “Lower than normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of OXT were measured in adult women with a history of childhood trauma and abuse (31), as well as in the urine of socially deprived children interacting with their mothers (32) [but see also (33)], indicating that early-life adversity has long-lasting impact on OXT signaling.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [31] Heim, 2009, Lower CSF oxytocin concentrations in women with a history of childhood abuse, Mol Psychiatry source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [32] Wismer Fries, 2005, Early experience in humans is associated with changes in neuropeptides critical for regulating social behavior, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [33] Young, 2010, Bioanalytical inaccuracy: A threat to the integrity and efficiency of research, J Psychiatry Neurosci source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Short-term separation from their female partners induced profound grief reactions and heightened hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in male voles.

    “Furthermore, even short-term separation from their female partners induced profound grief reactions and heightened hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in male voles (27), suggesting that in highly social species, decreases in OXT signaling due to partner loss rapidly translate into stressrelated disorders such as anxiety and depression.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [27] Bosch, 2009, The CRF system mediates increased passive stress-coping behavior following the loss of a bonded partner in a monogamous rodent, Neuropsychopharmacology source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Social isolation through partner separation precipitates anxiety and depression-like behaviors in monogamous voles, which could be prevented by repeated subcutaneous injection of oxytocin.

    “For example, social isolation through partner separation precipitates anxiety and depression-like behaviors in monogamous voles (25), which could be prevented by repeated subcutaneous injection of OXT (26).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [25] Grippo, 2007, Social isolation induces behavioral and neuroendocrine disturbances relevant to depression in female and male prairie voles, Psychoneuroendocrinology source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [26] Grippo, 2012, Peripheral oxytocin administration buffers autonomic but not behavioral responses to environmental stressors in isolated prairie voles, Stress source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Oxytocin plasma concentrations correlate with the time devoted to affectionate parenting in mothers and with stimulatory parenting in fathers.

    “Moreover, OXT plasma concentrations appear to correlate with the time devoted to affectionate parenting (such as soft hugs, caresses, or baby talk) in mothers and with stimulatory parenting (i.e., tossing the baby in the air or encouraging exploration and laughter) in fathers (29).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [29] Gordon, 2010, Oxytocin and the development of parenting in humans, Biol Psychiatry source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Intranasal oxytocin made fathers less hostile and motivated them to foster exploration behavior in their children.

    “Furthermore, OXT IN made fathers less hostile and motivated them to foster exploration behavior in their children (47).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [47] Naber, 2010, Intranasal oxytocin increases fathers’ observed responsiveness during play with their children: A double-blind within-subject experiment, Psychoneuroendocrinology source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The effects of intranasal oxytocin appear to be influenced by attachment representations: less anxiously attached individuals remembered their mother as more caring and close after oxytocin, but the opposite effect was observed for more anxiously attached individuals.

    “Notably, the effects of OXT IN appear to be influenced by the attachment representations people possess.Less anxiously attached individuals remembered their mother as more caring and close after OXT IN , but the opposite effect was observed for more anxiously attached individuals (53).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [53] Bartz, 2010, Effects of oxytocin on recollections of maternal care and closeness, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Genetic variation confers susceptibility for distinct attachment styles, but the extent to which a specific style is expressed in the behavioral phenotype is moderated by family environment.

    “It thus appears that genetic variation confers susceptibility for distinct attachment styles, but the extent to which a specific style is expressed in the behavioral phenotype is moderated by family environment (43,44).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [43] Bradley, 2013, Family environment and adult resilience: Contributions of positive parenting and the oxytocin receptor gene, Eur J Psychotraumatol source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [44] Bradley, 2011, Association between childhood maltreatment and adult emotional dysregulation in a low-income, urban, African American sample: Moderation by oxytocin receptor gene, Dev Psychopathol source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Hypothalamic lesions block the initiation, but not the maintenance, of maternal behaviors in rats.

    “For instance, hypothalamic lesions block the initiation, but not the maintenance, of maternal behaviors in rats (18), suggesting that OXT may specifically facilitate the transition from avoidance of pups to caring for them (19,20).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [18] Insel, 1989, Lesions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus disrupt the initiation of maternal behavior, Physiol Behav source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Intranasal oxytocin encouraged fathers to engage in stimulatory parenting and increased the infant's salivary oxytocin concentrations in addition to changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia response and social-emotional behavior.

    “Interestingly, OXT IN not only encouraged fathers to engage in stimulatory parenting but also increased the infant's salivary OXT concentrations in addition to changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia response, an index of emotional reactivity, and social-emotional behavior (48).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [48] Weisman, 2012, Oxytocin administration to parent enhances infant physiological and behavioral readiness for social engagement, Biol Psychiatry source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Collectively, these data provide little support that oxytocin is involved in the formation of new pair bonds in humans but rather suggest that oxytocin may be more important for the maintenance of an already established pair bond.

    “Collectively, these data provide little support that OXT is involved in the formation of new pair bonds in humans but rather suggest that OXT may be more important for the maintenance of an already established pair bond.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    There is a positive correlation between oxytocin plasma concentrations and attachment anxiety and interpersonal distress.

    “Moreover, there are also reports documenting a positive correlation between OXT plasma concentrations and attachment anxiety (72) and interpersonal distress (61,73).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [72] Marazziti, 2006, A relationship between oxytocin and anxiety of romantic attachment, Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [61] Turner, 1999, Preliminary research on plasma oxytocin in normal cycling women: Investigating emotion and interpersonal distress, Psychiatry source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [73] Taylor, 2006, Relation of oxytocin to psychological stress responses and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity in older women, Psychosom Med source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    The observed pattern of results has been interpreted as indicating an oxytocin-induced self-referential processing bias that could explain the increased pleasantness in an already pleasant context and a diminished effect for participants with high autistic-like traits who experience social touch as less pleasant.

    “Thus, the observed pattern of results has been interpreted as indicating an OXTinduced self-referential processing bias that could explain the increased pleasantness in an already pleasant context and a diminished effect for participants with high autistic-like traits who experience social touch as less pleasant (115).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [115] Voos, 2013, Autistic traits are associated with diminished neural response to affective touch, Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Intranasal oxytocin motivated pair-bonded, but not single, men to keep a larger social distance from an unknown female experimenter and inhibited approach toward attractive women depicted in photos.

    “In another study, OXT IN motivated pair-bonded, but not single, men to keep a larger social distance from an unknown female experimenter (Figure 1) and inhibited approach toward attractive women depicted in photos (89).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [89] Scheele, 2012, Oxytocin modulates social distance between males and females, J Neurosci source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The interpretation of peripheral oxytocin measurements is hampered by methodological issues and the absence of a strong linear relationship between peripheral and central oxytocin concentrations.

    “Of note, the interpretation of peripheral OXT measurements is hampered by methodological issues (76) and the absence of a strong linear relationship between peripheral and central OXT concentrations (77).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [76] McCullough, 2013, Problems with measuring peripheral oxytocin: Can the data on oxytocin and human behavior be trusted?, Neurosci Biobehav Rev source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [77] Kagerbauer, 2013, Plasma oxytocin and vasopressin do not predict neuropeptide concentrations in human cerebrospinal fluid, J Neuroendocrinol source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In the absence of social support, oxytocin may increase the sensation of social stress, augment the impact of aversive information on defensive responses, and induce a privileged recall of negative information by increasing neural responses in insular cortex.

    “On the other hand, in the absence of social support, OXT may increase the sensation of social stress, augment the impact of aversive information on defensive responses (i.e., the startle reflex), and induce a privileged recall of negative information by increasing neural responses in insular cortex (106,107).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [106] Striepens, 2012, Oxytocin facilitates protective responses to aversive social stimuli in males, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [107] Eckstein, 2014, Oxytocin facilitates the sensation of social stress, Hum Brain Mapp source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    These data resonate well with the idea that oxytocin enhances an a priori existing predisposition, possibly by modulating self-referential processing and interoception.

    “These data resonate well with the idea that OXT enhances an a priori existing predisposition, possibly by modulating self-referential processing and interoception.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    These results challenge the popular notion that oxytocin has broad positive effects on social perception and instead suggest a strong dependency of oxytocin effects on person-dependent factors including early-life adversity.

    “Together, these results challenge the popular notion that oxytocin has broad positive effects on social perception and instead suggest a strong dependency of OXT effects on person-dependent factors including early-life adversity.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The tend and befriend model states that gaps in positive social relationships are accompanied by elevations in oxytocin and that these increased oxytocin levels prompt affiliative efforts aimed at restoring positive social contact.

    “As such, the tend and befriend model has been proposed (74,75), which states that gaps in positive social relationships are accompanied by elevations in OXT and that these increased OXT levels prompt affiliative efforts aimed at restoring positive social contact.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [74] Taylor, 2006, Tend and befriend: Biobehavioral bases of affiliation under stress, Curr Dir Psychol Sci source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [75] Tabak, 2011, Oxytocin indexes relational distress following interpersonal harms in women, Psychoneuroendocrinology source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Intranasal oxytocin enhances positive communication in relation to negative behavior during couple conflicts and reduces cortisol saliva levels after the conflict.

    “It has been shown, for example, that the peptide enhances positive communication in relation to negative behavior during couple conflicts and reduces cortisol saliva levels after the conflict (82).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [82] Ditzen, 2009, Intranasal oxytocin increases positive communication and reduces cortisol levels during couple conflict, Biol Psychiatry source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Subjects under oxytocin reported higher ratings of extraversion and openness to experiences and stronger positive attitudes toward themselves.

    “Specifically, subjects under OXT reported higher ratings of extraversion and openness to experiences and stronger positive attitudes toward themselves.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [118] Cardoso, 2012, Acute intranasal oxytocin improves positive self-perceptions of personality, Psychopharmacology (Berl) source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [119] Colonnello, 2014, Intranasal oxytocin enhances positive self-attribution in healthy men, J Psychosom Res source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationcitation

    Oxytocin should produce the most powerful effects as an adjunct to social interventions relying on the human attachment system.

    “Considering the previous finding that OXT augments the antistress effects of social support (104), we expect that OXT should produce the most powerful effects as an adjunct to social interventions relying on the human attachment system.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [104] Heinrichs, 2003, Social support and oxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress, Biol Psychiatry source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The use of oxytocin as a pharmacologic augmentation of established treatments for psychiatric disorders not only contains the promise of improved social functioning but may also aggravate an already distorted social perception.

    “Along these lines, the use of OXT as a pharmacologic augmentation of established treatments for psychiatric disorders not only contains the promise of an improved social functioning but may also aggravate an already distorted social perception.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In humans, intranasal oxytocin treatment over 10 days in elderly subjects produced no significant effects on mood or cardiovascular indices but yielded positive changes in psychological well-being and physical functioning.

    “In humans, OXT IN treatment over 10 days in elderly subjects produced no significant effects on mood or the cardiovascular indices but yielded positive changes in psychological well-being and physical functioning (141).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [141] Barraza, 2013, Effects of a 10-day oxytocin trial in older adults on health and well-being, Exp Clin Psychopharmacol source

      Not checked in the free run.

29 of 29

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Oxytocin plays a crucial role in the maintenance of romantic relationships.

    “Our results corroborate recent conceptualizations that OXT plays a crucial role in the maintenance of romantic relationships (Hurlemann & Scheele, 2016), for example, by specifically increasing the hedonic value of a romantic partner's touch (Kreuder et al., 2017).”

    From Oxytocin enhances the pain‐relieving effects of social support in romantic couples (2019) · cites this paper as Hurlemann & Scheele, 2016

    The ‘OXYTOCIN AND ROMANTIC ATTACHMENT’ section says the evidence suggests oxytocin may be more important for maintaining an established pair bond than for forming a new one. This supports the maintenance aspect, but ‘plays a crucial role’ states the conclusion more firmly than the source does (page unavailable in our copy). (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Infarction linked to bereavement and profound grief after the loss of a partner is at least partially mediated by a disruption of OXT signaling.

    “infarction (Mostofsky et al., 2012) linked to bereavement and profound grief after the loss of a partner, are also at least partially mediated by a disruption of OXT signaling (Hurlemann and Scheele, 2016).”

    From Hormonal contraceptives suppress oxytocin-induced brain reward responses to the partner’s face (2016) · cites this paper as Hurlemann and Scheele, 2016

    In “Oxytocin and Social Attachment in Nonhuman Species,” the paper suggests that reduced OXT signaling after partner loss contributes to anxiety and depression in voles. Its “Translational Implications” section discusses human grief but does not link OXT disruption to infarction after bereavement. The proposed mediation of infarction is therefore unsupported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Instead of establishing de novo bonding, oxytocin seems to strengthen a priori existing predispositions.

    “Instead of establishing de novo bonding, OXT seems to strengthen a priori existing predispositions (Hurlemann & Scheele, 2016).”

    From Oxytocin enhances the pain‐relieving effects of social support in romantic couples (2019) · cites this paper as Hurlemann & Scheele, 2016

  • Oxytocin (OXT) is a key modulator of pair-bonding in men.

    “The hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OXT) has been identified as a key modulator of pair-bonding in men, but its effects in women are still elusive.”

    From Hormonal contraceptives suppress oxytocin-induced brain reward responses to the partner’s face (2016) · cites this paper as Hurlemann and Scheele, 2016

  • OXT induces a self-referential processing bias, thus increasing the conscious perception of partner value.

    “this finding resonates well with our hypothesis that OXT induces a self-referential processing bias (Scheele et al., 2014a;Hurlemann and Scheele, 2016), thus increasing the conscious perception of partner value.”

    From Hormonal contraceptives suppress oxytocin-induced brain reward responses to the partner’s face (2016) · cites this paper as Hurlemann and Scheele, 2016

The citation lists haven’t been fetched yet

References 143 · Cited by 136

Authors
Hurlemann, R., & Scheele, D.
Affiliations
University of Bonn (DE)
Corresponding author
Hurlemann, René
ORCID
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-02
Volume
79
Issue
3
Pages
185-193
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.05.013
OpenAlex
W591729477
Semantic Scholar
c6be36349e680421657ff6f46f79c83ed0aabee3
Cited by
136
References
143
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 9
FWCI
3.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Starting Independent Researcher Grant (‘NEMO – Neuromodulation of Emotion’)
  • Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research & Technology of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MIWFT)
  • University of Bonn
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
Keywords
oxytocin, social bonding, interpersonal relationships, interoception, self-referential processing, childhood adversity, emotional dysregulation, stress-related disorders, hypothalamic neuropeptides, offspring survival
MeSH terms
Emotions, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Oxytocin, Social Behavior

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-09.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-09.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review