The DOI matches its Crossref record; 107 of the 108 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Problems with measuring peripheral oxytocin: Can the data on oxytocin and human behavior be trusted?
Open accessAbstract
Research on the neurobiological and behavioral effects of oxytocin (OT), as well as on its possible therapeutic applications, has intensified in the past decade. Accurate determination of peripheral OT levels is essential to reach meaningful conclusions and to motivate, support and inform clinical interventions. Different, but concordant, methods for measuring plasma OT have been developed over the past four decades, but since 2004 several commercially available methods have been favored in research with humans. Evaluation of these methods reveals that they lack reliability when used on unextracted samples of human fluids, and that they tag molecules in addition to OT, yielding estimates that are wildly discrepant with an extensive body of earlier findings that were obtained using methods that are well validated, but more laborious. An accurate, specific, and readily available method for measuring OT that can be adopted as the standard in the field is urgently needed for advances in our understanding of OT's roles in cognition and behavior.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
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?
In the citing paper
“in recent evaluations the RIA method was shown to have low sensitivity in the majority of samples tested (McCullough et al., 2013)”
From Peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin: Biomarkers of psychiatric disorders? A comprehensive systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis (2016) · cites this paper as McCullough et al., 2013
In the citing paper
“Both the commercially available immunoassays (RIA and EIA) have high heterogeneity and questionable validity (McCullough et al., 2013).”
From Peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin: Biomarkers of psychiatric disorders? A comprehensive systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis (2016) · cites this paper as McCullough et al., 2013
In the citing paper
“even in extracted samples the non-OT immunoreactive products of uncertain nature account for most of the measured immunoreactivity (McCullough et al., 2013).”
From Peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin: Biomarkers of psychiatric disorders? A comprehensive systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis (2016) · cites this paper as McCullough et al., 2013
In the citing paper
“With respect to other bodily fluids, such as saliva and urine, it has been demonstrated that the estimated levels are highly discrepant and weakly correlated to plasmatic levels (McCullough et al., 2013).”
From Peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin: Biomarkers of psychiatric disorders? A comprehensive systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis (2016) · cites this paper as McCullough et al., 2013
In the citing paper
“This advice has been largely ignored. Many studies have used this assay on unextracted human plasma, reporting mean concentrations of oxytocin and vasopressin of typically 100–500 pg/ml 3, 4, 5, 6, 114. Those that have diluted samples have done so by less than the manufacturer's recommendations, without confirming that their dilution is adequate.”
From Measuring Oxytocin and Vasopressin: Bioassays, Immunoassays and Random Numbers (2016) · cites this paper as [114]
In the citing paper
“These improvements have sought to address the main concern raised by McCullough et al. [7], namely that earlier ELISAs had a high rate of non-specific binding (when non-OT compounds bind to ‘OT-specific’ antibodies), leading to artificially elevated concentrations of OT.”
From Salivary oxytocin concentrations in males following intranasal administration of oxytocin: a double-blind, cross-over study (2015) · cites this paper as [7]
In the citing paper
“Lyophilization has also been found to significantly increase the validity of measuring OT via ELISA [7, 21, 22]. Therefore, we used the lyophilisation process instead of the chemical process outlined in the manual.”
From Salivary oxytocin concentrations in males following intranasal administration of oxytocin: a double-blind, cross-over study (2015) · cites this paper as [7]
In the citing paper
“Furthermore, an increasing number of studies demonstrate the same effects of behavior, social context, and social relationships on both central and peripheral oxytocin measures (35–37).”
From Oxytocin reactivity during intergroup conflict in wild chimpanzees (2017) · cites this paper as [35]
In the citing paper
“The biological validity of peripheral oxytocin measurements with respect to central oxytocin patterns nonetheless is debated (33–35).”
From Oxytocin reactivity during intergroup conflict in wild chimpanzees (2017) · cites this paper as [35]
In the citing paper
“However, an increasing body of evidence shows that oxytocin pathways can involve coordinated central and peripheral oxytocin release, indicating that high peripheral measures reflect the release of central oxytocin.”
From Oxytocin reactivity during intergroup conflict in wild chimpanzees (2017) · cites this paper as [35]
In the citing paper
“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).”
From Dissecting the Role of Oxytocin in the Formation and Loss of Social Relationships (2016) · cites this paper as [76]
In the citing paper
“Studies that have examined CSF levels of oxytocin after intranasal administration have shown small CSF increases in animal models at around 40 minutes to 1 hour post-administration, 78,79”
From Beyond the hype and hope: critical considerations for intranasal oxytocin research in autism spectrum disorder (2017) · cites this paper as [79]
In the citing paper
“Non-extracted approaches may not have been appropriate as a methodology.48, 59”
From Oxytocin efficacy is modulated by dosage and oxytocin receptor genotype in young adults with high-functioning autism: a 24-week randomized clinical trial (2016) · cites this paper as [59]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Oxytocin and vasopressin in the human brain: social neuropeptides for translational medicine
Meyer-Lindenberg, A., Domes, G., Kirsch, P., & Heinrichs, M. (2011) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn3044 · Cited by 1,688
Oxytocin, vasopressin, and the neurogenetics of sociality
Donaldson, Z. R., & Young, L. J. (2008) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1158668 · Cited by 1,645
Bioanalytical Method Validation—A Revisit with a Decade of Progress
Shah, V. P., Midha, K. K., Findlay, J. W. A., Hill, H. M., Hulse, J. D., McGilveray, I. J., McKay, G., Miller, K. J., Patnaik, R. N., Powell, M. L., et al. (2000) · Pharmaceutical Research · doi:10.1023/a:1007669411738 · Cited by 1,574
Neumann, I. D., & Landgraf, R. (2012) · Trends in Neurosciences · doi:10.1016/j.tins.2012.08.004 · Cited by 954
T he D iagnostic A pplications of S aliva — A R eview
Kaufman, E., & Lamster, I. B. (2002) · Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine · doi:10.1177/154411130201300209 · Cited by 887
Feldman, R., Weller, A., Zagoory-Sharon, O., & Levine, A. (2007) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.02010.x · Cited by 787
Adult attachment predicts maternal brain and oxytocin response to infant cues.
Strathearn, L., Fonagy, P., Amico, J., & Montague, P. R. (2009) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2009.103 · Cited by 773
Plasma oxytocin levels in autistic children
Modahl, C., Green, L. A., Fein, D., Morris, M., Waterhouse, L., Feinstein, C., & Levin, H. (1998) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(97)00439-3 · Cited by 728
Feldman, R., Gordon, I., Schneiderman, I., Weisman, O., & Zagoory-Sharon, O. (2010) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.01.013 · Cited by 638
Oxytocin is associated with human trustworthiness
ZAK, P., KURZBAN, R., & MATZNER, W. (2005) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.07.009 · Cited by 595
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 401–416 of 416
Zhang, X., Fralick, L., & Ethun, K. F. (2026) · Biomedical Chromatography · doi:10.1002/bmc.70349
Huc, M., Nikolic, M., Power, L., McQuaid, R. J., & Jaworska, N. (2026) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106610
Rewiring connection: The role of oxytocin in interactive media behavior
Marciano, L., Kubzansky, L. D., Montag, C., Bickham, D. S., Rich, M., & Becker, B. (2026) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106625 · Cited by 1
Tully, J., & Hind, E. (2026) · Aggression and Violent Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.avb.2026.102144
Agustí, C., Manteca, X., Almunia, J., López-Arjona, M., Cerón, J. M. C., Tejero, E. V., Câmara, N., Guix, L., & Talló-Parra, O. (2026) · Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology · doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2026.111993
Skyberg, A. M., & Pfeifer, J. H. (2026) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2026.101714
Szymanska, M. (2016) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/5ebf3333z256cz402dz8340z24153a59aef8
The oxytocinergic descending control of pain and its modulation by neonatal maternal separation
Melchior, M. (2018) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/368c73c0ze731z4b57zb52cz8f31049fb33c
Influence of the activities imposed by the human being on equine emotional responses
Mendonça, T. S. V. (2020) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/b12f870bz4cccz49dazaed0z2960f88d3776
Ouyang, J., León, G. A., Rinne, G. R., & Saxbe, D. (2026) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107901
Kotrschal, K. M. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1800617
Oxytocin release patterns and effects, with a focus on touch, social interaction, and closeness
Uvnäs‐Moberg, K., & Petersson, M. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1771799
Winters, C., Gorssen, W., Ulbrich, S. E., & Goumon, S. (2026) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2026.107950
Neurobiology of Pet Loss Grief: A Review from a One Health Perspective
Ngo, T. H. P., Oh, J., Kim, H. J., & Lee, W. (2026) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani16193129
Güneşli, I., Aksun, M. S., & Yıldız, B. O. (2026) · Journal of Endocrinological Investigation · doi:10.1007/s40618-026-03047-3
Arakawa, N., Otsuka, M., Hamano, T., Kashiwagi, N., Ose, T., Yabuki, A., & Yamato, O. (2026) · Veterinary Sciences · doi:10.3390/vetsci13111165
Metadata
- Authors
- McCullough, M. E., Churchland, P. S., & Mendez, A. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Miami (US)
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mendez, Armando J.
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-09
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1485-1492
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2124961114
- Cited by
- 416
- References
- 108
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 40 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 9
- FWCI
- 5.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- escholarship.org
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- oxytocin, assay validation, method reliability, cross-reactivity
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Immunoenzyme Techniques, Oxytocin, Radioimmunoassay, Reproducibility of Results
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.
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
