Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25951955›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in neuroendocrinology2016

Vasopressin and oxytocin receptor systems in the brain: Sex differences and sex-specific regulation of social behavior.

Kelly M Dumais, Alexa H Veenema

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in neuroendocrinology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 274 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
274citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
56.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

274 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 514 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. [Interleukins involved in bone degeneration from periodontal disease: Systematic review].Revista medica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social · 2025
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  18. Male-Biased Social Deficits in Chd8Neuroscience bulletin · 2026
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214 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Kelly M DumaisNeurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA. Electronic address: kelly.dumais@bc.edu.
Alexa H VeenemaNeurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Boston College · US

Funding

Sex-specific regulation of social playR01MH102456 · NIMH · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · PI VEENEMA, ALEXANDRA H. · 2014 to 2018
$1.7M
Sex and age differences in the regulation of social recognitionR15MH102807 · NIMH · BOSTON COLLEGE · PI VEENEMA, ALEXANDRA H. · 2014 to 2014
$470k
Sex-specific regulation of social behavior: Focus on oxytocin and neural circuitsF31MH100891 · NIMH · BOSTON COLLEGE · PI DUMAIS, KELLY M. · 2013 to 2014
$72k
NIMH NIH HHS F31 MH100891NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH102456NIMH NIH HHS R15 MH102807PHS HHS NIMH F31MH100891PHS HHS NIMH R01MH102456PHS HHS NIMH R15MH102807
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The neuropeptides vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) and their receptors in the brain are involved in the regulation of various social behaviors and have emerged as drug targets for the treatment of social dysfunction in several sex-biased neuropsychiatric disorders. Sex differences in the VP and OT systems may therefore be implicated in sex-specific regulation of healthy as well as impaired social behaviors. We begin this review by highlighting the sex differences, or lack of sex differences, in VP and OT synthesis in the brain. We then discuss the evidence showing the presence or absence of sex differences in VP and OT receptors in rodents and humans, as well as showing new data of sexually dimorphic V1a receptor binding in the rat brain. Importantly, we find that there is lack of comprehensive analysis of sex differences in these systems in common laboratory species, and we find that, when sex differences are present, they are highly brain region- and species-specific. Interestingly, VP system parameters (VP and V1aR) are typically higher in males, while sex differences in the OT system are not always in the same direction, often showing higher OT expression in females, but higher OT receptor expression in males. Furthermore, VP and OT receptor systems show distinct and largely non-overlapping expression in the rodent brain, which may cause these receptors to have either complementary or opposing functional roles in the sex-specific regulation of social behavior. Though still in need of further research, we close by discussing how manipulations of the VP and OT systems have given important insights into the involvement of these neuropeptide systems in the sex-specific regulation of social behavior in rodents and humans.

Indexed as

Sex CharacteristicsSocial BehaviorAnimalsArginine VasopressinHumansOxytocinReceptors, OxytocinVasopressinsArginine VasopressinOxytocinReceptors, OxytocinVasopressinsFemalesHumansMalesOT receptorOxytocinRodentsSex differencesSocial behaviorV1a receptorVasopressin

Identifiers

PMID25951955
PMCPMC4633405
OpenAlexW318497691

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.