Cited by 105Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorFamily Dynamics and RelationshipsInfant Health and Development

Intranasal oxytocin, but not vasopressin, augments neural responses to toddlers in human fathers

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Li, Ting, Chen, Xu, Mascaro, Jennifer, Haroon, Ebrahim, Rilling, James K.·2017·Hormones and Behavior

Abstract

This study investigates paternal brain function with the hope of better understanding the neural basis for variation in caregiving involvement among men. The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are implicated in paternal caregiving in humans and other species. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject pharmaco-functional MRI experiment, we randomized 30 fathers of 1-2year old children to receive either 24IU intranasal OT before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15) or 20IU intranasal AVP before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15). Brain function was measured with fMRI as the fathers viewed pictures of their children, unknown children and unknown adults, and as they listened to unknown infant cry stimuli. Intranasal OT, but not AVP, significantly increased the BOLD fMRI response to viewing pictures of own children within the caudate nucleus, a target of midbrain dopamine projections, as well as the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and visual cortex, suggesting that intranasal oxytocin augments activation in brain regions involved in reward, empathy and attention in human fathers. OT effects also varied as a function of order of administration such that when OT was given before placebo, it increased activation within several reward-related structures (substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, putamen) more than when it was given after placebo. Neither OT nor AVP had significant main effects on the neural response to cries. Our findings suggest that the hormonal changes associated with the transition to fatherhood are likely to facilitate increased approach motivation and empathy for children, and call for future research that evaluates the potential of OT to normalize deficits in paternal motivation, as might be found among men suffering from post-partum depression.

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  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies indicate that the mesolimbic dopamine system is activated as parents of both sexes view pictures of their own children but not pictures of other children, and this activation is enhanced by intranasal oxytocin.

    “Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies indicate that the mesolimbic DA system is activated as parents of both sexes view pictures of their own children but not pictures of other children, and this activation is enhanced by IN-OT [40,41,42].”

    From The Neurobiology of Love and Pair Bonding from Human and Animal Perspectives (2023) · cites this paper as [40]

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  • The few studies that have compared the effects of intranasally administered OT and AVP in humans have reported that these peptides do not have opposing roles.

    “The few studies that have compared the effects of intranasally administered OT and AVP in humans have reported that these peptides do not have opposing roles.”
  • OT and AVP can have differential effects on neural activity (BOLD fMRI responses) and cognition, at least in some cases, although the effects of OT are more robust.

    “These data have, however, found OT and AVP can have differential effects on neural activity (i.e., BOLD fMRI responses) and cognition, at least in some cases although the effects of OT are more robust [84; 86; 87; 88; 89; 90].”

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Authors
Li, T., Chen, X., Mascaro, J., Haroon, E., & Rilling, J. K.
Affiliations
Emory University (US)
Corresponding author
Rilling, James K.
Venue
Hormones and Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-07
Volume
93
Pages
193-202
ISSN
0018-506X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2585856827
Cited by
105
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 6
FWCI
21.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Hormones and Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R21HD078778)
  • National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000454)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
Keywords
intranasal oxytocin, vasopressin, paternal care, fathers, caudate nucleus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, reward processing, infant crying, dopamine, postpartum depression, neuropeptides
MeSH terms
Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Brain, Child, Preschool, Double-Blind Method, Empathy, Fathers, Female, Humans, Infant, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Motivation, Neurons, Oxytocin, Paternal Behavior, Reward, Vasopressins, Young Adult

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