Cited by 201Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorOlfactory and Sensory Function Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 47 of the 48 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 38 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Oxytocin, the peptide that bonds the sexes also divides them

Open access
Gao, Shan, Becker, Benjamin, Luo, Lizhu, Geng, Yayuan, Zhao, Weihua, Yin, Yu, Hu, Jiehui, Gao, Zhao, Gong, Qiyong, Hurlemann, Rene, Yao, Dezhong, Kendrick, Keith M.·2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Significance: To interpret and respond appropriately to social cues is a fundamental aspect of human nature that becomes impaired in many mental disorders. The past decade has witnessed unprecedented excitement across neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry regarding the role of oxytocin in human social cognition and its potential therapeutic use. There is also a considerable long-established public interest in behavioral sex differences and the molecular and brain mechanisms responsible. The current findings provide the first mechanistic explanation, to our knowledge, for how this key social molecule has evolved sex-dependent actions on amygdala function to influence the salience and attractiveness of positive social attributes in women but negative ones in men.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

Intranasal oxytocin produced sex- and valence-dependent changes in amygdala responses during social impression formation: it enhanced left amygdala reactivity to people who praised others in women but to people who criticized others in men. These neural effects were accompanied by opposite likeability effects, with oxytocin increasing women’s overall likeability ratings and tending to decrease men’s.

Key findings

  • In a whole-brain mixed-effect ANOVA, a significant treatment × sex interaction occurred in the left amygdala for social criticism vs. praise (k = 262, P_FWE = 0.001). Oxytocin enhanced left amygdala responses to criticizing vs. praising others in males (t35 = 3.1, P = 0.004, d = 1.02) but attenuated them in females (t35 = −3.18, P = 0.003, d = 1.09).
  • Separate extraction showed greater amygdala reactivity in men to those who criticized others (t35 = 3.22, P = 0.003, d = 1.04) and in women to those who praised them (t35 = 2.45, P = 0.019, d = 0.82). No such effect was found for the parallel object-directed condition.
  • Oxytocin altered left amygdala–right insula functional connectivity in a treatment × sex interaction (t70 = 4.19, P_FWE = 0.009): it increased coupling in males (t35 = 3.59, P = 0.001, d = 1.18) but reduced it in females (t35 = −2.29, P = 0.03, d = 0.76) for criticizing vs. praising others. Connectivity for criticizing people in males and praising people in females was associated with likeability ratings after controlling for anxiety and mood (OXT males criticizing: r = 0.62, P = 0.02; OXT females praising: r = 0.5, P = 0.04).
  • Likeability ratings showed main effects of valence (F2,140 = 213.51, P < 0.001, η²P = 0.75) and target (F1,70 = 35.83, P < 0.001, η²P = 0.34); faces paired with criticism were rated lowest (3.83 ± 0.1) and praise highest (6 ± 0.09). A treatment × sex interaction (F1,70 = 7.08, P = 0.01, η²P = 0.09) showed oxytocin increased females’ overall likeability ratings (F1,70 = 4.25, P = 0.04, η²P = 0.06) and tended to decrease males’ (F1,70 = 2.89, P = 0.09, η²P = 0.04).

Methods

  • Double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject design: 80 healthy right-handed volunteers (age 19–27 y; M ± SD, 22.8 ± 1.7 y) were recruited; data from 6 were lost, leaving 37 females (OXT n = 21) and 37 males (OXT n = 18) in final analyses. Participants self-administered intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) or placebo and underwent fMRI after 45 min.
  • During fMRI, participants completed a first-impression task in which neutral faces were paired with statements describing criticizing or praising people or nonsocial objects; faces were later presented alone and rated for likeability.
  • fMRI data were analyzed with SPM8/DPARSF using a whole-brain mixed-effect ANOVA with treatment and sex as between-subject factors and valence as a within-subject factor, plus generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) functional connectivity analysis focused on amygdala coupling with salience-network regions.

Limitations

  • The paper does not include a dedicated limitations section. It notes that sex-dependent salience effects of oxytocin may be influenced by emotional experience and contextual factors, citing a trauma study, and that the observed effects were social-specific, with no object-directed or face-alone effects.
  • Evident from the text: the final sample was 74 healthy, right-handed young adults (19–27 y), excluding smokers, medication users, pregnant women, and oral-contraceptive users, which limits generalizability.
  • Evident from the text: the study used a single 24-IU intranasal oxytocin dose and one post-treatment time point, with no dose-response or longer-term behavioral follow-up; the male likeability decrease was only marginal (P = 0.09).

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.1602620113

Cites

47 of 47 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • It may state two separate claims as one. 17
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  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The neural basis of the opposing sex-dependent behavioral effects of oxytocin has not been established.

    “The neural basis of these opposing sex-dependent behavioral effects of OXT has not, however, been established.”
1 of 1

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  • Not confirmedz = 2.41reported p = .008 · recomputed p = .016

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  • Not confirmedz = 2.51reported p = .006 · recomputed p = .012

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Metadata

Authors
Gao, S., Becker, B., Luo, L., Geng, Y., Zhao, W., Yin, Y., Hu, J., Gao, Z., Gong, Q., Hurlemann, R., Yao, D., & Kendrick, K. M.
Affiliations
  • University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (CN)
  • Sichuan University (CN)
  • Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2016-06-20
Volume
113
Issue
27
Pages
7650-7654
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W2463712686
Cited by
186
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 4
FWCI
40.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (31530032)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
Keywords
oxytocin, sex differences, amygdala activation, social cognition, intranasal oxytocin, social bonding, prosocial behavior, antisocial behavior
MeSH terms
Adult, Amygdala, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Oxytocin, Sex Characteristics, Social Behavior, Young Adult, Sociological Factors

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