Oxytocin enhances processing of positive versus negative emotional information in healthy male volunteers
Abstract
Animal studies have shown the role of oxytocin in affiliation and attachment, and recent evidence suggests that oxytocin is also involved in human models of approach behaviour, possibly by modulating the processing of emotionally valenced stimuli. Although oxytocin administration has been reported to decrease neural responses to facial emotional information, the effects on a wider range of behavioural measures of emotional processing shown to be sensitive to antidepressant manipulation have not been examined. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intranasally administered oxytocin affects the processing of positive and negative affective information in healthy male volunteers across tasks measuring attention, perception and memory. Twenty-nine male healthy volunteers were randomly allocated to receive a single dose of oxytocin nasal spray (24 UI) or placebo. 50 min later, participants completed a battery of psychological tests measuring emotional processing. A single dose of intranasally administered oxytocin slowed reaction time to correctly identify fearful facial expressions and reduced the misclassification of positive emotions as negative ones. These effects occurred in the absence of significant differences in subjective ratings of mood and anxiety. These results suggest that oxytocin modulates emotion processing in healthy male volunteers. This action may contribute to the emerging role of the neuropeptide in promoting affiliative and approach behaviours by reducing the salience of potentially ambiguous and threatening social stimuli.
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Oxytocin has a detrimental effect on fear perception in morphed emotional faces.
“a detrimental effect on fear perception (Di Simplicio et al., 2009)”
From Oxytocin enhances pupil dilation and sensitivity to 'hidden' emotional expressions (2013) · cites this paper as Di Simplicio et al., 2009
Some studies have reported enhanced empathic accuracy towards only positive or negative emotions, some found the effect strongest for difficult items, and others the opposite.
“Some have reported enhanced empathic accuracy towards only positive (Di Simplicio et al., 2009;Marsh et al., 2010) or negative emotions (Fischer-Shofty et al., 2010), some have found that the effect is strongest for difficult items (Domes et al., 2007) and others the opposite (Guastella et al., 2010;Schulze et al., 2011).”
From Oxytocin enhances pupil dilation and sensitivity to 'hidden' emotional expressions (2013) · cites this paper as Di Simplicio et al., 2009
Several avenues of research have reported that intranasal oxytocin treatment enhances the recognition accuracy of one or more emotions displayed in others' faces.
“Several avenues of research, employing a range of stimuli and tasks, have reported that intranasal oxytocin treatment enhances the recognition accuracy of one or more emotions displayed in others' faces (Domes et al., 2007;Di Simplicio et al., 2009;Bartz et al., 2010;Fischer-Shofty et al., 2010;Guastella et al., 2010;Marsh et al., 2010;Schulze et al., 2011).”
From Oxytocin enhances pupil dilation and sensitivity to 'hidden' emotional expressions (2013) · cites this paper as Di Simplicio et al., 2009
Intranasal OT slows down the recognition of fear.
“slows down the recognition of fear [13]”
From A direct examination of the effect of intranasal administration of oxytocin on approach-avoidance motor responses to emotional stimuli (2013) · cites this paper as [13]
Findings from studies using lower level tasks administered after OT ingestion (RTs to emotion stimuli and emotion recognition tasks) tend to be mixed and sometimes inconsistent.
“findings from studies using lower level tasks administered after OT ingestion (RTs to emotion stimuli and emotion recognition tasks, for example) tend to be mixed and sometimes inconsistent [13], [10], [14], [11], [12].”
From A direct examination of the effect of intranasal administration of oxytocin on approach-avoidance motor responses to emotional stimuli (2013) · cites this paper as [13]
Oxytocin had no effect on mood.
“Consistent with most previous studies, we found no effects of oxytocin on mood (Di Simplicio et al., 2009, Fischer-Shofty et al., 2010, Kirsch et al., 2005, Marsh et al., 2010).”
From Oxytocin decreases aversion to angry faces in an associative learning task (2010) · cites this paper as Di Simplicio et al., 2009
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“…studies to report intranasal OT effects in humans were done in males only, showing a role for OT in trust and in the processing of socially relevant information (Kosfeld et al., 2005; Zak et al., 2007; Domes et al., 2007; Guastella et al., 2008a; Guastella et al., 2008b; Di Simplicio et al., 2009).”
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Cagna, F. D., Fusar‐Poli, L., Damiani, S., Rocchetti, M., Giovanna, G., Mori, A., Politi, P., & Brondino, N. (2019) · Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience · doi:10.9758/cpn.2019.17.1.1 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
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Plasma oxytocin concentrations following MDMA or intranasal oxytocin in humans
Kirkpatrick, M. G., Francis, S. M., Lee, R., de Wit, H., & Jacob, S. (2014) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.04.006 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Linnen, A.-M., Ellenbogen, M. A., Cardoso, C., & Joober, R. (2012) · Stress · doi:10.3109/10253890.2011.631154 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Oxytocin for the treatment of drug and alcohol use disorders
Lee, M. R., & Weerts, E. M. (2016) · Behavioural Pharmacology · doi:10.1097/fbp.0000000000000258 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Intranasal oxytocin effects on social cognition: A critique
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Oxytocin and stress-related disorders: neurobiological mechanisms and treatment opportunities
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Oxytocin decreases aversion to angry faces in an associative learning task
Evans, S., Shergill, S. S., & Averbeck, B. B. (2010) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2010.110 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
New treatment approaches for severe and enduring eating disorders
Treasure, J., Cardi, V., Leppanen, J., & Turton, R. (2015) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.06.007 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Slattery, D. A., & Neumann, I. D. (2010) · Pharmaceuticals · doi:10.3390/ph3030702 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Selective influences of oxytocin on the evaluative processing of social stimuli
Norman, G. J., Cacioppo, J. T., Morris, J. S., Karelina, K., Malarkey, W. B., DeVries, A. C., & Berntson, G. G. (2011) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881110367452 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Sex-specific associations between peripheral oxytocin and emotion perception in schizophrenia
Rubin, L. H., Carter, C. S., Drogos, L. L., Jamadar, R., Pournajafi‐Nazarloo, H., Sweeney, J. A., & Maki, P. M. (2011) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2011.06.002 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Antiaggressive activity of central oxytocin in male rats
Calcagnoli, F., de Boer, S. F., Althaus, M., den Boer, J. A., & Koolhaas, J. M. (2013) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-013-3124-7 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Oxytocin and the modulation of pain experience: Implications for chronic pain management
Tracy, L. M., Georgiou‐Karistianis, N., Gibson, S. J., & Giummarra, M. J. (2015) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.04.013 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Rocchetti, M., Radua, J., Paloyelis, Y., Xenaki, L., Frascarelli, M., Caverzasi, E., Politi, P., & Fusar‐Poli, P. (2014) · Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences · doi:10.1111/pcn.12185 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
The many faces of oxytocin: Implications for psychiatry
Zik, J. B., & Roberts, D. L. (2014) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2014.11.048 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Prehn, K., Kazzer, P., Lischke, A., Heinrichs, M., Herpertz, S. C., & Domes, G. (2013) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.12042 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Oxytocin increases empathy to pain when adopting the other-but not the self-perspective
Abu-Akel, A., Palgi, S., Klein, E., Decety, J., & Shamay-Tsoory, S. (2015) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2014.948637 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Improving social perception in schizophrenia: The role of oxytocin
Fischer-Shofty, M., Brüne, M., Ebert, A., Shefet, D., Levkovitz, Y., & Shamay‐Tsoory, S. (2013) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2013.01.006 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Ellenbogen, M. A., Linnen, A., Grumet, R., Cardoso, C., & Joober, R. (2012) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.2011.01278.x · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Oxytocin Reduces Background Anxiety in a Fear-Potentiated Startle Paradigm
Missig, G., Ayers, L. W., Schulkin, J., & Rosen, J. B. (2010) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2010.155 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Feeser, M., Fan, Y., Weigand, A., Hahn, A., Gärtner, M., Böker, H., Grimm, S., & Bajbouj, M. (2015) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.12.015 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Social neuroscience: The social brain, oxytocin, and health
Norman, G. J., Hawkley, L. C., Cole, S. W., Berntson, G. G., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2011) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2011.568702 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Hormones, Stress, and Cognition: The Effects of Glucocorticoids and Oxytocin on Memory
Wirth, M. M. (2014) · Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology · doi:10.1007/s40750-014-0010-4 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Role of the 5-HT2A Receptor in Acute Effects of LSD on Empathy and Circulating Oxytocin
Holze, F., Avedisian, I., Varghese, N., Eckert, A., & Liechti, M. E. (2021) · Frontiers in Pharmacology · doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.711255 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Jiang, Y., & Platt, M. L. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-25607-1 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Krol, K. M., Monakhov, M. V., Lai, P. S., Ebstein, R. P., & Großmann, T. (2015) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1506352112 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Janeček, M., & Dabrowska, J. (2018) · Cell and Tissue Research · doi:10.1007/s00441-018-2889-8 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Antitumor activity of benzaldehyde.
Kochi, M., Takeuchi, S., Mizutani, T., Mochizuki, K., Matsumoto, Y., & Saito, Y. (1980) · PubMed · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Effects of a 10-day oxytocin trial in older adults on health and well-being
Barraza, J. A., Grewal, N. S., Ropacki, S., Perez, P., Gonzalez, A., & Zak, P. J. (2013) · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1037/a0031581 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
The role of oxytocin and vasopressin in emotional and social behaviors
Bachner‐Melman, R., & Ebstein, R. P. (2014) · Handbook of clinical neurology · doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-59602-4.00004-6 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Rash, J. A., & Campbell, T. S. (2014) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000000068 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Oxytocin Mediates a Calming Effect on Postpartum Mood in Primiparous Mothers
Niwayama, R., Nishitani, S., Takamura, T., Shinohara, K., Honda, S., Miyamura, T., Nakao, Y., Oishi, K., & 永橋, 美. (2017) · Breastfeeding Medicine · doi:10.1089/bfm.2016.0052 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Free movement: A key for welfare improvement in sport horses?
Lesimple, C., Reverchon-Billot, L., Galloux, P., Stomp, M., Boichot, L., Coste, C., Henry, S., & Hausberger, M. (2020) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2020.104972 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Oxytocin and anxiety disorders
Gottschalk, M. G., & Domschke, K. (2017) · Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences · doi:10.1007/7854_2017_25 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Current findings on the role of oxytocin in the regulation of food intake
Spetter, M. S., & Hallschmid, M. (2017) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.007 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Zanos, P., Wright, S. R., Georgiou, P., Yoo, J. H., Ledent, C. A., Hourani, S. M. O., Kitchen, I., Winsky‐Sommerer, R., & Bailey, A. (2013) · Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2013.05.009 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Oxytocin and opioid addiction revisited: old drug, new applications
Zanos, P., Georgiou, P., Weber, C. D., Robinson, F., Kouimtsidis, C., Niforooshan, R., & Bailey, A. (2017) · British Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1111/bph.13757 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Oxytocin effects on neural correlates of self-referential processing
Liu, Y., Sheng, F., Woodcock, K. A., & Han, S. (2013) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.08.003 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Ellenbogen, M. A., Linnen, A.-M., Cardoso, C., & Joober, R. (2013) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.06.016 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Somppi, S., Törnqvist, H., Topál, J., Koskela, A., Hänninen, L. T., Krause, C. M., & Vainio, O. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01854 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Moeini, M., Omidi, A., Sehat, M., & Banafshe, H. R. (2019) · European Addiction Research · doi:10.1159/000496194 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Theodoridou, A., Penton-Voak, I. S., & Rowe, A. C. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058113 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Dolder, P. C., Holze, F., Liakoni, E., Harder, S., Schmid, Y., & Liechti, M. E. (2016) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4431-6 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Harony, H., & Wagner, S. (2010) · Neurosignals · doi:10.1159/000321035 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Vargas, T., Conley, R. E., & Mittal, V. A. (2019) · International review of neurobiology · doi:10.1016/bs.irn.2019.11.004 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Association between the oxytocin receptor ( OXTR ) gene and children's social cognition at 18 months
Wade, M., Hoffmann, T. J., Wigg, K., & Jenkins, J. M. (2014) · Genes Brain & Behavior · doi:10.1111/gbb.12148 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Herzmann, G., Young, B. R., Bird, C. W., & Curran, T. (2012) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2012.02.049 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Croydon, A., Pimperton, H., Ewing, L., Duchaine, B., & Pellicano, E. (2014) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.07.008 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Gender differences in oxytocin-associated disruption of decision bias during emotion perception
Lynn, S. K., Hoge, E. A., Fischer, L., Barrett, L. F., & Simon, N. M. (2014) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2014.04.031 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Xu, L., Ma, X., Zhao, W., Luo, L., Yao, S., & Kendrick, K. M. (2015) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.09.002 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Goodin, B. R., Anderson, A. J. B., Freeman, E. L., Bulls, H. W., Robbins, M. T., & Ness, T. J. (2014) · Clinical Journal of Pain · doi:10.1097/ajp.0000000000000166 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Theodoridou, A., Rowe, A. C., & Mohr, C. (2013) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00197 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
“…processing, such as during approachavoidance motor responses to emotional faces (Theodoridou et al., 2013) and identification of fearful faces (Di Simplicio et al., 2009), it has not been found to have a slowing effect on approachavoidance motor responses to non-social stimuli (Theodoridou et…”
BackgroundHuffmeijer, R., Alink, L. R. A., Mattie Tops, A., Grewen, K., Light, K. C., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M. J., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2012) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.11.008 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Oxytocin improves facial emotion recognition in young adults with antisocial personality disorder
Timmermann, M., Jeung, H., Schmitt, R., Boll, S., Freitag, C. M., Bertsch, K., & Herpertz, S. C. (2017) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.07.483 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Breastfeeding experience differentially impacts recognition of happiness and anger in mothers
Krol, K. M., Kamboj, S. K., Curran, H. V., & Grossmann, T. (2014) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep07006 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
- Authors
- Di Simplicio, M., Massey-Chase, R., Cowen, P., & Harmer, C.
- Affiliations
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Warneford Hospital (GB)
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Venue
- Journal of Psychopharmacology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2008-09-18
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 241-248
- ISSN
- 0269-8811 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7285
- OpenAlex
- W2060752188
- Cited by
- 229
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 19.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- 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, emotional processing, positive and negative affect, facial emotion recognition, fearful faces, intranasal administration, approach behavior, affiliative behavior, attention, memory, reaction time, male volunteers
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Intranasal, Adolescent, Adult, Emotions, Facial Expression, Fear, Humans, Male, Oxytocics, Oxytocin, Reaction Time, Mental Recall, Visual Perception, Recognition, Psychology, Young Adult
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