Intranasal oxytocin changed brain activity patterns differently depending on participants' baseline social functioning — higher social function led to increased visual network activity while lower social function increased salience network activity.
Social function predicts responseindividual brain activity changes from intranasal oxytocin depend on baseline social traits
What the researchers found
Social functioning traits predicted how intranasal oxytocin changed brain network dynamics — higher social function increased visual network microstates while lower social function increased salience network microstates.
Why it matters
Understanding why oxytocin works differently for different people is critical for its potential use as a therapy for autism and other social disorders — this study shows baseline social functioning is a key predictor of response.
The numbers in context
61 healthy male participants; double-blind crossover design; single-dose intranasal oxytocin; EEG recorded before and after administration.
How the study worked
Double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study in 30 healthy young adult men, using EEG microstate analysis across specific spectral bands with multivariate partial least square statistics.
Who was studied
Healthy adult men
What this study cannot tell us
Only 30 male participants; single-dose design may not reflect chronic administration; EEG microstates are indirect measures of network activity; social functioning measured by self-report; no female participants or clinical populations studied.
How to read the evidence
Moderate evidence from a well-designed RCT with crossover design, though limited by small sample size, male-only participants, and single-dose protocol.
When this study was published
Published in 2024, contributing to the ongoing effort to understand oxytocin's variable effects in humans.
The bigger picture
Oxytocin has been called the 'love hormone' and studied as a potential therapy for autism, but clinical results have been disappointing. This study suggests the inconsistency may stem from ignoring individual differences in social functioning — pointing toward personalized dosing approaches.
Questions still open
- Could social functioning scores predict who will benefit most from oxytocin therapy?
- Would repeated oxytocin dosing produce different brain patterns than single-dose administration?
- Do these findings extend to individuals with autism spectrum disorder?
Common questions
Why doesn't oxytocin work the same way for everyone?
Does this mean oxytocin could still help with autism?
Read the original research
Social functioning predicts individual changes in EEG microstates following intranasal oxytocin administration: A double-blind, cross-over randomized clinical trial.
Psychophysiology, 61(8), e14581
Citation
Tomescu, Miralena I; Van der Donck, Stephanie; Perisanu, Emanuela M; Berceanu, Alexandru I; Alaerts, Kaat; Boets, Bart; Carcea, Ioana. (2024). Social functioning predicts individual changes in EEG microstates following intranasal oxytocin administration: A double-blind, cross-over randomized clinical trial.. Psychophysiology, 61(8), e14581. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14581