Cited by 524Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorFace Recognition and PerceptionOlfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Effects of intranasal oxytocin on emotional face processing in women

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Domes, Gregor, Lischke, Alexander, Berger, Christoph, Grossmann, Annette, Hauenstein, Karlheinz, Heinrichs, Markus, Herpertz, Sabine C.·2010·Psychoneuroendocrinology

Abstract

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) has previously been found to reduce amygdala reactivity to social and emotional stimuli in healthy men. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of intranasally administered OXT on brain activity in response to social emotional stimuli of varying valence in women. In a functional magnetic-resonance imaging study, sixteen women were presented with fearful, angry, happy and neutral facial expressions after a single dose of 24IU OXT or a placebo administration in a within-subject design. Group analysis revealed that the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal was enhanced in the left amygdala, the fusiform gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus in response to fearful faces and in the inferior frontal gyrus in response to angry and happy faces following OXT treatment. This effect was independent of fixation pattern to specific sections of the facial stimuli as revealed by eye tracking and independent of basal plasma levels of OXT, estradiol, and progesterone. The results are at odds with the previously reported effects found in men. Future studies should include both sexes to determine a possible sexual dimorphism in the neural effects of OXT, considering gonadal steroids and OXT receptor affinity.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.06.016

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  • Task-based fMRI has often shown opposite findings in males and females, namely in amygdala activation.

    “task-based fMRI has often shown opposite findings in males and females namely in terms of amygdala activation.14, 15”
  • Some neuroimaging studies indicate potential differences in the oxytocin system between sexes.

    “This bias can be observed in much of the prior work on oxytocin in humans as well, with some neuroimaging studies indicating potential differences in the oxytocin system between sexes.13, 14, 47, 48, 49”
  • Male bias can be observed in much of prior work on oxytocin in humans.

    “This bias can be observed in much of the prior work on oxytocin in humans as well, with some neuroimaging studies indicating potential differences in the oxytocin system between sexes.13, 14, 47, 48, 49”
  • Oxytocin lowers amygdala activity in response to fear in men but raises amygdala activity to similar stimuli in women.

    “while it has been demonstrated that OXT decreases amygdala activity in response to fear in men (Kirsch et al., 2005), it appears to increase amygdala activity to similar stimuli in women (Domes et al., 2010).”
  • Separate oxytocin-application studies in humans indicate that there may be differential amygdala reactivity to fearful faces and fearful/threatening scenes in men and women.

    “separate OXT-application studies in humans have indicated that there may be differential amygdala reactivity to fearful faces and fearful/threatening scenes in men (14, 15) and women (16, 17).”

    From Oxytocin, the peptide that bonds the sexes also divides them (2016) · cites this paper as [16]

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Authors
Domes, G., Lischke, A., Berger, C., Grossmann, A., Hauenstein, K., Heinrichs, M., & Herpertz, S. C.
Affiliations
  • University of Freiburg (DE)
  • University of Rostock (DE)
  • Universitätsmedizin Rostock (DE)
  • Heidelberg University (DE)
Corresponding author
Domes, Gregor
Venue
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-01
Volume
35
Issue
1
Pages
83-93
ISSN
0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2038181972
Cited by
521
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 45 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 45 · 2014: 53 · 2013: 64 · 2012: 44
FWCI
44.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion)
  • Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
  • FreiDok plus (Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg) (submittedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Funders
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (01GW0784)
  • Universität Zürich
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Do1312/1-1)
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (PP001-114788)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
Keywords
oxytocin, intranasal administration, emotional face processing, amygdala, sexual dimorphism, women, facial expressions, fusiform gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, estradiol, progesterone, sex steroids, BOLD signal
MeSH terms
Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Anger, Emotions, Estradiol, Eye Movements, Facial Expression, Fear, Female, Hormones, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Oxytocin, Photic Stimulation, Progesterone, Social Perception, Young Adult

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