Oxytocin-related results from fMRI studies in the systematic review
| Study | Sample size | Sex | OXT dose, IU | Task, contrast | Effect of OXT* | WB/ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baumgartner et al. (23) | 49 | M | 24 | Trust interaction as trustee with human and risk interaction with a computer | ||
| Trust feedback | ↓ L/R amygdala | WB | ||||
| ↓ L brainstem | WB | |||||
| ↓ L/R caudate | WB | |||||
| ↓ L postcentral gyrus (superior parietal lobe) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L putamen/insula | WB | |||||
| Trust prefeedback | ↑ R thalamus/pulvinar | WB | ||||
| ↓ R ACC | WB | |||||
| Domes et al. (24) | 13 | M | 24 | Implicit facial processing by indicating sex of happy, angry, fearful and neutral faces | ||
| Implicit facial processing (fearful > neutral) | ↓ L paracentral gyrus | WB | ||||
| ↓ L frontal medial lobe (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L medulla | WB | |||||
| ↓ anterior cerebellum/culmen | WB | |||||
| ↓ L inferior temporal lobe (MTG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L MTG | WB | |||||
| Implicit facial processing (angry > neutral) | ↓ L thalamus/pulvinar | WB | ||||
| ↓ L postcentral gyrus (paracentral lobe) | WB | |||||
| ↓ R precentral gyrus (postcentral gyrus) | WB | |||||
| Implicit facial processing (happy > neutral) | ↓ L/R inferior temporal lobe (STG) | WB | ||||
| ↓ L paracentral gyrus | WB | |||||
| ↓ L MTG | WB | |||||
| Domes et al. (25) | 16 | F | 24 | Explicit facial processing by rating emotional arousal of fearful, angry, happy and neutral faces | ||
| Explicit facial processing (fearful > neutral) | ↑ L MTG (temporal pole) | WB | ||||
| ↑ L amygdala (subcallosal gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L/R fusiform gyrus (L cerebullum/R parahippocampal gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L STG | WB | |||||
| ↑ L insula | WB | |||||
| ↑ R cerebellum | WB | |||||
| ↑ R brainstem (SN) | WB | |||||
| ↓ R dlPFC (SFG) | WB | |||||
| Explicit facial processing (angry > neutral) | ↑ L rolandic operculum (insula) | WB | ||||
| ↑ R rolandic operculum (thalamus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ R dlPFC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L/R vlPFC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| Explicit facial processing (happy > neutral) | ↑ L MTG (temporal pole) | WB | ||||
| ↑ R hippocampus (amygdala) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L STG (transverse temporal gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L fusiform gyrus (cerebellum) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L insula (postcentral gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ R rolandic operculum (precentral gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ R cerebellum | WB | |||||
| ↓ R dlPFC (SFG) | WB | |||||
| Gamer et al. (26) | 46 | M | 24 | Explicit facial processing by emotional classification of fearful, happy and neutral faces | ||
| Explicit facial processing (fearful > neutral) | ↓ L/R amygdala | ROI | ||||
| Gazing toward eyes | ↑ R posterior amygdala | ROI | ||||
| Gazing toward mouth | ↑ L/R superior colliculus (cerebellum) | WB | ||||
| Kirsch et al. (27) | 14 | M | 27 | Implicit emotional processing by matching fearful/threatening scenes and angry/fearful faces or shapes | ||
| All social stimuli, but greater for faces | ↓ L amygdala | ROI | ||||
| Connectivity measures | ↓ L amygdala, L/R brainstem | ROI/ROI | ||||
| Labuschagne et al. (29)† | 18 | M | 24 | Explicit facial processing using emotional classification of sad, happy and neutral faces | ||
| Explicit facial processing (sad > neutral) | ↓ R ACC | WB | ||||
| ↓ R MFG | WB | |||||
| ↓ R supplementary motor cortex (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L superior parietal cortex (precuneus) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L thalamus | WB | |||||
| Explicit facial processing (happy > neutral) | ↓ L cerebellum | WB | ||||
| ↓ L cerebellum/fusiform | WB | |||||
| ↓ L calcarine fissure/cerebellum | WB | |||||
| ↓ R mPFC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L MFG | WB | |||||
| ↓ L precuneus (cuneus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ R STG (IFG) | WB | |||||
| Lischke et al. (30) | 14 | F | 24 | Explicit processing by rating emotional arousal of negative, positive and neutral social scenes | ||
| Explicit social processing (negative > neutral scenes) | ↑ L/R amygdala (L/R putamen) | ROI | ||||
| ↑ L MTG | WB | |||||
| ↑ L ITG (fusiform gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L temporal pole, STG | WB | |||||
| ↑ L postcentral gyrus | WB | |||||
| Explicit social processing (positive > neutral scenes) | ↓ R supplementary motor cortex (SFG) | WB | ||||
| Petrovic et al. (31) | 27 | M | 32 | Conditioned neutral faces with direct and indirect gaze to aversive stimuli (implicit processing) | ||
| Fear conditioning (main effect) | ↓ R anterior MTL (MFG) | ROI | ||||
| ↓ R vmPFC (ACC) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L lateral OFC (IFG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ R ACC | WB | |||||
| ↓ R rostral ACC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L vlPFC (IFG) | WB | |||||
| Fear conditioning for direct gaze | ↓ R amygdala (subcallosal gyrus) | ROI | ||||
| ↓ L/R caudal ACC | WB | |||||
| ↓ R subgenual ACC | WB | |||||
| ↑ L vlPFC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ R vlPFC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ R fusiform face area | WB | |||||
| Pincus et al. (32)‡ | 9 | M/F | 40 | Explicit facial processing using Reading of the Mind in the Eyes test and emotional classification | ||
| (1M/8F) | All stimuli | ↑ L caudate | WB | |||
| ↑ R parahippocampal gyrus | WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala | WB | |||||
| ↑ R IFG (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L lentiform nucleus (GP) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L ACC | WB | |||||
| ↑ R parahippocampal gyrus | WB | |||||
| ↑ L caudate (parahippocampal gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L STG (MTG) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L STG (MTG) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L ACC (subcallosal gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ L ACC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| Riem et al. (33) | 42 | F | 24 | Auditory exposure to babies crying | ||
| Implicit emotional processing (infant’s cry > control noise) | ↓ R amygdala (GP) | ROI | ||||
| ↑ L planum polare (STG) | WB | |||||
| ↑ R IFG (Insula) | WB | |||||
| Riem et al. (34) | 42 | F | 16 | Auditory exposure to infant laughter | ||
| Implicit emotional processing (infant’s laughter > control noise) | ↓ L/R amygdala | ROI | ||||
| Connectivity (laughter > control noise) | ↑ R amygdala, L hippocampus | ROI/WB | ||||
| ↑ R amygdala, L precuneus | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, R MTG | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, R parahippocampal gyrus | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, L OFC | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, L angular gyrus | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, L ACC | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↓ R amygdala, R lateral occipital cortex | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ L amygdala, ACC | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ L amygdala, R lateral occipital cortex | ROI/WB | |||||
| Rilling et al. (35) | 60 | M | 24 | Altruistic interaction using the prisoner’s dilemma | ||
| Reciprocated cooperation | ↑ L caudate (parahippocampal gyrus) | WB | ||||
| ↑ L amygdala (parahippocampal gyrus) | WB | |||||
| ↑ R putamen/insula | WB | |||||
| Unreciprocated cooperation | ↑ L vlPFC (MFG) | WB | ||||
| ↑ L vmPFC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| Connectivity | ↑ R amygdala, R MTG/STG | ROI/WB | ||||
| ↑ R amygdala, R IFG | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, L MFG/postcentral gyrus | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, L anterior insula/IFG | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, L planum polare/STG | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ R amygdala, L MTG | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↓ R amygdala, L/R cerebellum | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↓ R amygdala, R superior parietal lobe | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↓ R amygdala, L STG/MTG | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↓ R amygdala, R Cuneus | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↓ R amygdala, L MFG | ROI/WB | |||||
| Singer et al. (36) | 20 | M | 32 | Empathetic responses to pain inflicted in self and others | ||
| Pain inflicted in self | ↑ R mOFC (IFG) | WB | ||||
| ↑ R lOFC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ R amygdala/striatum (GP) | ROI | |||||
| Pain inflicted in self (prosocial > selfish) | ↓ L frontoinsular PFC (MFG) | WB | ||||
| ↓ L mPFC (MFG) | WB | |||||
| Pain inflicted in self (selfish > prosocial) | ↓ L amygdala | WB | ||||
| ↓ R amygdala (parahippocampal gyrus) | ROI | |||||
| Pain inflicted in other | ↓ R OFC (IFG) | WB | ||||
| Sripada et al. (37) | 15 | M | 24 | Resting state connectivity | ↑ R amygdala, ACC/rmFC | ROI/WB |
| Striepens et al. (38) | 70 | M | 24 | Implicit processing of social scenes using a memory task with negative and neutral pictures paired with nouns | ||
| Later remembered negative > later forgotten neutral | ↑ L anterior insula (IFG) | WB | ||||
| Negative and neutral > baseline | ↑ R amygdala | ROI | ||||
| Negative > baseline | ↑ R amygdala | ROI | ||||
| Neutral > baseline | ↑ R amygdala | ROI | ||||
| Connectivity (all stimuli) | ↓ L amygdala, L ACC | ROI/WB | ||||
| Connectivity (negative > neutral stimuli) | ↓ R amygdala, L insula | ROI/WB | ||||
| ↑ L anterior insula, L IFG | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↑ L anterior insula, L basolateral amygdala | ROI/WB | |||||
| Wittfoth-Schardt et al. (39) | 21 | M | 24 | Implicit facial processing where fathers viewed pictures of their own children, a familiar and unfamiliar child | ||
| Implicit facial processing (own child > familiar child) | ↓ L GP | ROI | ||||
| Implicit facial processing (unfamiliar child > familiar child) | ↓ L GP (putamen) | ROI | ||||
| ↓ L precentral gyrus | WB | |||||
| ↓ L hippocampus (amygdala) | ROI | |||||
| ↓ L/R MTG (L STG/R ITG) | WB | |||||
| ↓ L STG | WB | |||||
| ↓ L supramarginal gyrus (inferior parietal lobe) | WB | |||||
| Implicit facial processing (own child > unfamiliar child) | ↑ L caudate | WB | ||||
| Connectivity (own child > familiar child) | ↓ L GP, R GP | ROI/WB | ||||
| ↓ L GP, L MFG | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↓ L GP, L hippocampus | ROI/WB | |||||
| ↓ L GP, R superior parietal lobe | ROI/WB |
ACC = anterior cingulate cortex; dlPFC = dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; F = female; GP = globus pallidum; IFG = inferior frontal gyrus; ITG = inferior temporal gyrus; lOFC = lateral orbitofrontal cortex; M = male; MFG = medial frontal gyrus; mOFC = medial orbitofrontal cortex; mPFC = medial prefrontal cortex; MTG = middle temporal gyrus; OFC = orbitofrontal cortex; OXT = oxytocin; PFC = prefrontal cortex; rmPFC = rostromedial prefrontal cortex; ROI = region of interest; SN = substantia nigra; STG = superior temporal gyrus; vlPFC = ventrolateral prefrontal cortex; WB = whole brain analysis.
↵* Areas in italics represent areas that were different when the coordinates were entered into Talairach client; all other areas are those reported by the studies listed.
↵† Also included patients with social anxiety, but only results for healthy controls are reported.
↵‡ Also included patients with depression, but only results for healthy controls are reported.