Oxytocin amplifies negative response to ambiguity in adolescent females with and without eating disorders
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Objective
Eating disorders (ED) typically emerge in adolescence, a critical period for brain development and peer bonding. Interpersonal difficulties—particularly social anxiety—frequently co-occur with ED. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that modulates social cognition and linked to prosocial effects. To date, no study has investigated oxytocin's effects on negative interpretation bias toward ambiguous information in adolescents with ED.
Methods
Forty-eight female adolescents aged 16 to 17 years with and without EDs took part in a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomised, crossover trial investigating the effects of 24 IU intranasal oxytocin on negative interpretations of ambiguous scenarios. Participants and controls were tested twice, approximately one week apart.
Results
Contrary to hypothesis, oxytocin increased negative interpretations overall (p = 0.019, large effect). Adolescent females with AN or BN made more negative interpretations than controls when presented with ambiguous information. There was no group effect for those who reached or did not reach threshold on an autism screen.
Conclusions
This study suggests adolescents with EDs interpret ambiguous information more negatively than controls and that oxytocin administration amplifies negative responses to ambiguity in adolescent females, including in controls. Research tools that effectively identify these biases would help to widen the scope of ED treatments for adolescents.
Eating disorders (ED) typically emerge in adolescence, a critical period for brain development and peer bonding. Interpersonal difficulties—particularly social anxiety—frequently co-occur with ED. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that modulates social cognition and linked to prosocial effects. To date, no study has investigated oxytocin's effects on negative interpretation bias toward ambiguous information in adolescents with ED.
Methods
Forty-eight female adolescents aged 16 to 17 years with and without EDs took part in a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomised, crossover trial investigating the effects of 24 IU intranasal oxytocin on negative interpretations of ambiguous scenarios. Participants and controls were tested twice, approximately one week apart.
Results
Contrary to hypothesis, oxytocin increased negative interpretations overall (p = 0.019, large effect). Adolescent females with AN or BN made more negative interpretations than controls when presented with ambiguous information. There was no group effect for those who reached or did not reach threshold on an autism screen.
Conclusions
This study suggests adolescents with EDs interpret ambiguous information more negatively than controls and that oxytocin administration amplifies negative responses to ambiguity in adolescent females, including in controls. Research tools that effectively identify these biases would help to widen the scope of ED treatments for adolescents.
Date Issued
2025-07-01
Date Acceptance
2024-12-01
Citation
European Eating Disorders Review, 2025, 33 (4), pp.691-699
ISSN
1072-4133
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
691
End Page
699
Journal / Book Title
European Eating Disorders Review
Volume
33
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). European Eating Disorders Review published by Eating Disorders Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39887557
Subjects
anorexia nervosa
bulimia nervosa
development
neuropsychology
treatment
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Date Publish Online
2025-01-30