Intranasal administration of oxytocin: Behavioral and clinical effects, a review

Highlights • The mechanisms behind the effects of IN-applied substances need more attention.• The mechanisms involved in the brain-distribution of IN-OT are completely unexplored.• The possibly cascading effects of IN-OT on the intrinsic OT-system require serious investigation.• IN-OT induces clear and specific changes in neural activation.• IN-OT is a promising approach to treat certain clinical symptoms.

• Publication year

  2013

• Venue

  Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews

• Publication date

  2013-05-04

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Psychology

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.04.012PMID 23648680PMCID 7112651
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Blood-brain barrier in health and disease.

  2015cited by this paper
• The Olfactory System

  2014cited by this paper
• Increased brain and plasma oxytocin after nasal and peripheral administration in rats and mice.

  2013influential reference
• Effects of couple interactions and relationship quality on plasma oxytocin and cardiovascular reactivity: empirical findings and methodological considerations.

  2013cited by this paper
• Chronic intranasal oxytocin causes long-term impairments in partner preference formation in male prairie voles.

  2013cited by this paper
• Oxytocin mediates rodent social memory within the lateral septum and the medial amygdala depending on the relevance of the social stimulus: male juvenile versus female adult conspecifics.

  2013influential reference
• The circumventricular organs of the brain: conspicuity on clinical 3T MRI and a review of functional anatomy

  2013cited by this paper
• Medial frontal hyperactivity to sad faces in generalized social anxiety disorder and modulation by oxytocin.

  2012cited by this paper
• Brain meets body: the blood-brain barrier as an endocrine interface.

  2012cited by this paper
• Effects of manganese injected into rat nostrils: implications for in vivo functional study of olfaction using MEMRI.

  2012cited by this paper
• Intranasal oxytocin administration is reflected in human saliva.

  2012cited by this paper
• Evoked axonal oxytocin release in the central amygdala attenuates fear response.

  2012influential reference
• Dual Role of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Glycoprotein Fragment as a Mucosal Immunogen and Chemotactic Adjuvant

  2012cited by this paper
• Modulating social behavior with oxytocin: how does it work? What does it mean?

  2012cited by this paper
• Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions: The Possible Role of Oxytocin

  2012cited by this paper
• Identification and molecular characterization of a novel flavivirus isolated from Pekin ducklings in China.

  2012cited by this paper
• Posttraumatic stress symptoms and health-related quality of life: a two year follow up study of injury treated at the emergency department

  2012cited by this paper
• Cyto‐ and chemoarchitecture of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in the C57BL/6J male mouse: A study of immunostaining and multiple fluorescent tract tracing

  2012cited by this paper
• Oxytocin plasma concentrations after single intranasal oxytocin administration - a study in healthy men.

  2012cited by this paper
• Effect of intranasal immunization with inactivated avian influenza virus on local and systemic immune responses in ducks.

  2012cited by this paper
• Inhaled oxytocin amplifies both vicarious reinforcement and self reinforcement in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

  2012influential reference
• Intranasal drug delivery: an efficient and non-invasive route for systemic administration: focus on opioids.

  2012cited by this paper
• A sniff of trust: meta-analysis of the effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on face recognition, trust to in-group, and trust to out-group.

  2012influential reference
• Olfactory ferric and ferrous iron absorption in iron-deficient rats.

  2012cited by this paper
• Oxytocin and mutual communication in mother-infant bonding

  2012influential reference
• Dendritic cell targeted chitosan nanoparticles for nasal DNA immunization against SARS CoV nucleocapsid protein.

  2012cited by this paper
• Overview and introduction: The blood–brain barrier in health and disease

  2012cited by this paper
• Bonding after trauma: on the role of social support and the oxytocin system in traumatic stress

  2012cited by this paper
• Preliminary Assessment of the Efficacy of a T-Cell–Based Influenza Vaccine, MVA-NP+M1, in Humans

  2012cited by this paper
• T Cell-Biased Immune Responses Generated by a Mucosally-targeted Adenovirus-Sigma 1 Vaccine

  2012cited by this paper
• The Nonpeptide Oxytocin Receptor Agonist WAY 267,464: Receptor‐Binding Profile, Prosocial Effects and Distribution of c‐Fos Expression in Adolescent Rats

  2012cited by this paper
• Balance of brain oxytocin and vasopressin: implications for anxiety, depression, and social behaviors.

  2012influential reference
• No Laughing Matter: Intranasal Oxytocin Administration Changes Functional Brain Connectivity during Exposure to Infant Laughter

  2012cited by this paper
• The blood–brain barrier in health and disease

  2012cited by this paper
• Vasopressin, oxytocin, and social odor recognition.

  2012cited by this paper
• Increased brain radioactivity by intranasal 32P-labeled siRNA dendriplexes within in situ-forming mucoadhesive gels

  2012cited by this paper
• Intranasal delivery of biologics to the central nervous system.

  2012influential reference
• The role of oxytocin in mating and pregnancy.

  2012cited by this paper
• Selective siRNA-mediated suppression of 5-HT1A autoreceptors evokes strong anti-depressant-like effects

  2012cited by this paper
• Volume transmission of beta-endorphin via the cerebrospinal fluid; a review

  2012cited by this paper
• Iron-Responsive Olfactory Uptake of Manganese Improves Motor Function Deficits Associated with Iron Deficiency

  2012cited by this paper
• Endothelial Cells and Astrocytes: A Concerto en Duo in Ischemic Pathophysiology

  2012cited by this paper
• Intranasal delivery of siRNA to the olfactory bulbs of mice via the olfactory nerve pathway.

  2012cited by this paper
• Recent Advances in the Pharmacological Management of Pain

  2012cited by this paper
• Effects of a Common Variant in the CD38 Gene on Social Processing in an Oxytocin Challenge Study: Possible Links to Autism

  2012cited by this paper
• Susceptibility to Acute Mouse Adenovirus Type 1 Respiratory Infection and Establishment of Protective Immunity in Neonatal Mice

  2012cited by this paper
• Lysosomal enzyme can bypass the blood-brain barrier and reach the CNS following intranasal administration.

  2012cited by this paper
• Acute effects of steroid hormones and neuropeptides on human social-emotional behavior: a review of single administration studies.

  2012cited by this paper
• Cholesterol-induced conformational changes in the oxytocin receptor.

  2011cited by this paper
• Distinct representations of olfactory information in different cortical centres

  2011cited by this paper
• Sensory maps in the olfactory cortex defined by long-range viral tracing of single neurons

  2011influential reference
• Oxytocin modulates amygdala, insula, and inferior frontal gyrus responses to infant crying: a randomized controlled trial.

  2011cited by this paper
• Oxytocin Selectively Gates Fear Responses Through Distinct Outputs from the Central Amygdala

  2011influential reference
• Different profiles of main and accessory olfactory bulb mitral/tufted cell projections revealed in mice using an anterograde tracer and a whole-mount, flattened cortex preparation.

  2011cited by this paper
• Oxytocin administration attenuates stress reactivity in borderline personality disorder: a pilot study.

  2011cited by this paper
• Oxytocin buffers cortisol responses to stress in individuals with impaired emotion regulation abilities.

  2011cited by this paper
• Maternal Defense

  2011cited by this paper
• Oxytocin suppresses basal glutamatergic transmission but facilitates activity‐dependent synaptic potentiation in the medial prefrontal cortex

  2011cited by this paper
• Nose-to-Brain Transport Pathways of Wheat Germ Agglutinin Conjugated PEG-PLA Nanoparticles

  2011cited by this paper
• Oxytocin increases autonomic cardiac control: moderation by loneliness.

  2011cited by this paper
• Cortical representations of olfactory input by trans-synaptic tracing

  2011influential reference
• The Neuropeptide Oxytocin Facilitates Pro-Social Behavior and Prevents Social Avoidance in Rats and Mice

  2011cited by this paper
• Differential neuronal changes in medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens after postweaning social isolation

  2011cited by this paper
• Neurovascular pathways to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and other disorders

  2011cited by this paper
• Brain temperature in volunteers subjected to intranasal cooling

  2011cited by this paper
• Divergent effects of two different doses of intranasal oxytocin on facial affect discrimination in schizophrenic patients with and without polydipsia

  2011cited by this paper
• Selective influences of oxytocin on the evaluative processing of social stimuli

  2011cited by this paper
• Oxytocin and vasopressin in the human brain: social neuropeptides for translational medicine

  2011cited by this paper
• Maternal Neglect: Oxytocin, Dopamine and the Neurobiology of Attachment

  2011cited by this paper
• Amygdaloid Projections to the Ventral Striatum in Mice: Direct and Indirect Chemosensory Inputs to the Brain Reward System

  2011cited by this paper
• Therapeutic Efficacy of Intranasally Delivered Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Rat Model of Parkinson Disease

  2011cited by this paper
• Prosocial effects of oxytocin and clinical evidence for its therapeutic potential.

  2011cited by this paper
• Circumventricular organs

  2011influential reference
• A sex comparison of the anatomy and function of the main olfactory bulb-medial amygdala projection in mice.

  2011cited by this paper
• Anatomy and physiology of cerebrospinal fluid.

  2011cited by this paper
• The Accumbofrontal Fasciculus in the Human Brain: A Microsurgical Anatomical Study

  2011cited by this paper
• Peripheral oxytocin treatment ameliorates obesity by reducing food intake and visceral fat mass

  2011cited by this paper
• Sex, drugs and gluttony: how the brain controls motivated behaviors.

  2011cited by this paper
• Data supporting a new physiological role for brain apelin in the regulation of hypothalamic oxytocin neurons in lactating rats.

  2011cited by this paper
• Oxytocin and vasopressin in the medial amygdala differentially modulate approach and avoidance behavior toward illness-related social odor.

  2010cited by this paper
• Intranasal oxytocin increases fathers' observed responsiveness during play with their children: a double-blind within-subject experiment.

  2010influential reference
• The peptide that binds: a systematic review of oxytocin and its prosocial effects in humans.

  2010cited by this paper
• Oxytocin Selectively Improves Empathic Accuracy

  2010cited by this paper
• Performance, Properties and Plasticity of Identified Oxytocin and Vasopressin Neurones In Vitro

  2010cited by this paper
• Marital behavior, oxytocin, vasopressin, and wound healing.

  2010cited by this paper
• Extending the mirror neuron system model, II: what did I just do? A new role for mirror neurons

  2010cited by this paper
• REVIEW: Oxytocin: Crossing the Bridge between Basic Science and Pharmacotherapy

  2010cited by this paper
• Activity-induced manganese-dependent functional MRI of the rat visual cortex following intranasal manganese chloride administration.

  2010cited by this paper
• Where do mirror neurons come from?

  2010cited by this paper
• Mirror neuron dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders.

  2010cited by this paper
• Understanding Actions of Others: The Electrodynamics of the Left and Right Hemispheres. A High-Density EEG Neuroimaging Study

  2010cited by this paper
• The rodent accessory olfactory system

  2010cited by this paper
• Manipulation of the oxytocin system alters social behavior and attraction in pair-bonding primates, Callithrix penicillata.

  2010influential reference
• Olfactory bulb dysgenesis, mirror neuron system dysfunction, and autonomic dysregulation as the neural basis for autism.

  2010influential reference
• The effect of nasal oxytocin on pregnancy rates following intrauterine insemination: double-blind, randomized, clinical pilot study

  2010cited by this paper
• From music making to speaking: engaging the mirror neuron system in autism.

  2010cited by this paper
• Oxytocin-dopamine interactions mediate variations in maternal behavior in the rat.

  2010cited by this paper
• The functional role of the parieto-frontal mirror circuit: interpretations and misinterpretations

  2010influential reference
• The discovery of central monoamine neurons gave volume transmission to the wired brain.

  2010cited by this paper
• Different amygdala subregions mediate valence-related and attentional effects of oxytocin in humans

  2010cited by this paper

• Endogenous oxytocin-linked heart rate synchrony for social connection in live sports spectators

  2026cites this paper
• Dual-action intranasal oxytocin enhances both male sexual performance and fertility in rats.

  2025cites this paper
• Oxytocin in the Amygdala Sustains Prosocial Behavior via State-Dependent Amygdala–Prefrontal Modulation

  2025cites this paper
• Acute Administration of Oxytocin in the Functional Recovery of Neurocognitive and Social Deficits Following Juvenile Frontal Traumatic Brain Injury

  2025cites this paper
• The effect of intranasal oxytocin on theory of mind in children with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder.

  2025cites this paper
• Oxytocin's Role in the Interaction between Emotion and Cognitive Control.

  2025cites this paper
• Intranasal oxytocin modulates brain activity during emotional processing in children with treatment resistant conduct problems

  2025cites this paper
• Oxytocin administration rescues the negative impacts of social isolation on wound healing in mice.

  2025cites this paper
• Brain-wide mapping of immune receptors uncovers a neuromodulatory role of IL-17E and the receptor IL-17RB.

  2025cites this paper
• Induction of nitric oxide via humming does not improve short-term cognitive performance or influence emotional processing

  2024cites this paper
• Oxytocin differentially modulates the early neural responses to faces and non-social stimuli

  2024cites this paper
• Oxytocin Reduces Noradrenergic-Induced Opioid-Like Withdrawal Symptoms in Individuals on Opioid Agonist Therapy

  2024cites this paper
• Interplay of MeCP2/ REST/ Synaptophysin-BDNF and intranasal oxytocin influence on Aβ-induced memory and cognitive impairments.

  2024cites this paper
• Pharmacokinetics of intranasal drugs, still a missed opportunity?

  2024cites this paper
• Boosting decision-making in rat models of early-life adversity with environmental enrichment and intranasal oxytocin.

  2024cites this paper
• Oxytocin in neurodevelopmental disorders: Autism spectrum disorder and Prader-Willi syndrome.

  2024cites this paper
• Oxytocin Enhances Time-Dependent Responses in the Aggressive Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

  2024cites this paper
• The use of intranasal oxytocin in the treatment of eating disorders.

  2023cites this paper
• Oxytocin protective effects on zebrafish larvae models of autism-like spectrum disorder

  2023cites this paper
• Prolactin and oxytocin: potential targets for migraine treatment

  2023cites this paper
• Oxytocin attenuates microglial activation and restores social and non-social memory in APP/PS1 Alzheimer model mice

  2023cites this paper
• Can repeated intranasal oxytocin administration affect reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces in autism? A randomized controlled trial.

  2023cites this paper
• Oxytocin measurements in saliva: an analytical perspective

  2023cites this paper
• Intranasal Oxytocin in Pediatric Populations: Exploring the Potential for Reducing Irritability and Modulating Neural Responses: A Mini Review

  2023influential citation
• Oxytocin attenuates microglial activation and restores social and non-social memory in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

  2022cites this paper
• [How oxytocin became overtime the attachment-mediating hormone].

  2022cites this paper
• A Comprehensive Review on Nanomedicine: Promising approach for treatment of brain tumor through intranasal administration.

  2022cites this paper
• Oxytocin: An Old Hormone, A Novel Psychotropic Drug And Possible Use In Treating Psychiatric Disorders.

  2022cites this paper
• Oxytocin Dynamics in the Body and Brain Regulated by the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-Products, CD38, CD157, and Nicotinamide Riboside

  2022cites this paper
• On the Interplay Between the Medicine of Hildegard of Bingen and Modern Medicine: The Role of Estrogen Receptor as an Example of Biodynamic Interface for Studying the Chronic Disease's Complexity

  2022cites this paper
• Intranasal oxytocin alters attention to emotional facial expressions, particularly for males and those with depressive symptoms.

  2022cites this paper
• The neurochemistry of hypnotic suggestion

  2021cites this paper
• A randomized controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin in Phelan-McDermid syndrome

  2021cites this paper
• Trends in peptide drug discovery

  2021cites this paper
• Dendritic membrane resistance modulates activity-induced Ca2+ influx in oxytocinergic magnocellular neurons of mouse PVN

  2021cites this paper
• Oxytocin and Addiction: Potential Glutamatergic Mechanisms

  2021influential citation
• The role of oxytocin in delay of gratification and flexibility in non-social decision making

  2021cites this paper
• Environmental enrichment and intranasal oxytocin administration reverse maternal separation-induced impairments of prosocial choice behavior.

  2021cites this paper
• Drug Delivery Systems and Strategies to Overcome the Barriers of Brain.

  2021cites this paper
• A Systematic Review of the Role of Oxytocin, Cortisol, and Testosterone in Facial Emotional Processing

  2021cites this paper
• Endogenous Oxytocin Levels in Autism—A Meta-Analysis

  2021cites this paper
• Direct Delivery of ANA-TA9, a Peptide Capable of Aβ Hydrolysis, to the Brain by Intranasal Administration

  2021cites this paper
• Oxytocin ameliorates impaired social behavior in a Chd8 haploinsufficiency mouse model of autism

  2021cites this paper
• The influence of oxytocin-based interventions on sleep-wake and sleep-related behaviour and neurobiology: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies.

  2021cites this paper
• Mucoadhesion as a strategy to enhance the direct nose-to-brain drug delivery

  2021cites this paper
• Dendritic osmosensors modulate activity-induced calcium influx in oxytocinergic magnocellular neurons of the mouse PVN

  2021cites this paper
• Oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) DNA methylation is associated with autism and related social traits – A systematic review

  2021cites this paper
• Self-assembling modified neuropeptide S enhances nose-to-brain penetration and exerts a prolonged anxiolytic-like effect.

  2021cites this paper
• Salivary oxytocin after oxytocin administration: Examining the moderating role of childhood trauma.

  2020cites this paper
• An overview of the use of oxytocin measures in leisure studies

  2020cites this paper
• The role of oxytocin in antisocial behavior: A multi-method approach

  2020cites this paper
• Intranasal oxytocin administration facilitates the induction of long-term potentiation and promotes cognitive performance of maternally separated rats.

  2020cites this paper
• A Systematic Review of Primary and Secondary Callous-Unemotional Traits and Psychopathy Variants in Youth

  2020cites this paper
• Central but not peripheral oxytocin administration reduces risk-based decision-making in male rats.

  2020cites this paper
• A Preliminary Examination of Endogenous Peripheral Oxytocin in a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of Oxytocin-Enhanced Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

  2020cites this paper
• Imbalance of the oxytocin-vasopressin system contributes to the neuropsychiatric phenotype in the BACHD mouse model of Huntington disease.

  2020cites this paper
• An Allostatic Theory of Oxytocin.

  2020influential citation
• Editorial: Caring for Those Who Are Neglected and Forgotten: Psychiatry in Prison Environments

  2020cites this paper
• Clinical convergence of autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease: The case of social cognition

  2020cites this paper
• Oxytocin Normalizes Approach–Avoidance Behavior in Women With Borderline Personality Disorder

  2020cites this paper
• Intraspecific Motor and Emotional Alignment in Dogs and Wolves: The Basic Building Blocks of Dog–Human Affective Connectedness

  2020cites this paper
• Therapeutic Potential of Oxytocin in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Mechanisms and Signaling Pathways

  2019cites this paper
• Oxytocin and Social Behaviour in Dogs and Other (Self-)Domesticated Species Methodological Caveats and Promising Perspectives

  2019cites this paper
• Can oxytocin inhibit stress-induced hyperalgesia?

  2019cites this paper
• Daily oxytocin patterns in relation to psychopathy and childhood trauma in residential youth.

  2019cites this paper
• Pharmacological characteristics of hemokinin-1-derived peptides in rat pruriceptive processing.

  2019cites this paper
• The Role of Oxytocin in Antisocial Personality Disorders: A Systematic Review of the Literature

  2019cites this paper
• Oxytocin treatment reduced food intake and body fat and ameliorated obesity in ovariectomized female rats.

  2019cites this paper
• Oxytocinergic modulation of brain activation to cues related to reproduction and attachment: Differences and commonalities during the perception of erotic and fearful social scenes.

  2019cites this paper
• Systemic oxytocin administration alters mesolimbic dopamine release in mice.

  2019cites this paper
• Oxytocin and Stress: Neural Mechanisms, Stress-Related Disorders, and Therapeutic Approaches.

  2019cites this paper
• A novel role of oxytocin: Oxytocin-induced well-being in humans

  2019cites this paper
• Intranasal Administration of Oxytocin Attenuates Stress Responses Following Chronic Complicated Stress in Rats

  2019cites this paper
• Urinary oxytocin in capuchin monkeys: Validation and the influence of social behavior

  2018cites this paper
• A Precision Medicine Approach to Oxytocin Trials.

  2018cites this paper
• Social Motivation in Schizophrenia: The Impact of Oxytocin on Vigor in the Context of Social and Nonsocial Reinforcement

  2018cites this paper
• Intranasal Oxytocin Attenuates Reactive and Ongoing, Chronic Pain in a Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

  2018cites this paper
• Relationship between dietary intake and behaviors with oxytocin: a systematic review of studies in adults

  2018cites this paper
• The Anorexigenic Neural Pathways of Oxytocin and Their Clinical Implication

  2018cites this paper
• The role of trauma in the hormonal interplay of cortisol, testosterone, and oxytocin in adolescent aggression.

  2018cites this paper
• Ameliorating Impact of Prophylactic Intranasal Oxytocin on Signs of Fear in a Rat Model of Traumatic Stress

  2018cites this paper
• Delivery of immunoglobulin G antibodies to the rat nervous system following intranasal administration: Distribution, dose‐response, and mechanisms of delivery

  2018cites this paper
• Oxytocin analysis from human serum, urine, and saliva by orbitrap liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

  2018cites this paper
• Interplay between Oxytocin and Sensory Systems in the Orchestration of Socio-Emotional Behaviors.

  2018cites this paper
• Oxytocin and Rodent Models of Addiction.

  2018cites this paper
• Intranasal oxytocin administration promotes emotional contagion and reduces aggression in a mouse model of callousness

  2018influential citation
• Intranasal oxytocin and OXTR genotype effects on resting state functional connectivity: A systematic review

  2018cites this paper
• Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) and Deviant Peer Affiliation: A Gene–Environment Interaction in Adolescent Antisocial Behavior

  2018cites this paper
• Oxytocin receptor signaling in the hippocampus: Role in regulating neuronal excitability, network oscillatory activity, synaptic plasticity and social memory

  2018cites this paper
• Oxytocin curbs calorie intake via food-specific increases in the activity of brain areas that process reward and establish cognitive control

  2018cites this paper
• Oxytocin Intranasal Administration Affects Neural Networks Upstream of GNRH Neurons

  2017influential citation
• Papel de la oxitocina en la regulación de la agresión

  2017cites this paper
• Oxytocin intranasal administration as a new hope for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism patients.

  2017cites this paper
• Intranasal Oxytocin and Vasopressin Modulate Divergent Brainwide Functional Substrates

  2017cites this paper
• Current findings on the role of oxytocin in the regulation of food intake.

  2017cites this paper
• Clowns in Paediatric Surgery: Less Anxiety and More Oxytocin? A Pilot Study

  2017cites this paper
• Increased Serum and Urinary Oxytocin Concentrations after Nasal Administration in Beagle Dogs

  2017cites this paper
• Validation of a Commercially Available Enzyme ImmunoAssay for the Determination of Oxytocin in Plasma Samples from Seven Domestic Animal Species

  2017cites this paper
• A Little Anthropomorphism Goes a Long Way

  2017cites this paper
• Insular Cortex Mediates Approach and Avoidance Responses to Social Affective Stimuli

  2017cites this paper