ReviewCureus2026
The Role of Oxytocin and Cortisol as Biomarkers of Efficacy in Animal-Assisted Interventions for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: A Narrative Review.
Review in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, often characterized by dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and impaired social affiliation. Despite standard pharmacological treatments, a significant proportion of patients continue to struggle with treatment-resistant depression, necessitating the exploration of effective adjunctive strategies such as animal-assisted interventions (AAIs). The primary objective of this narrative review is to synthesize current neurobiological evidence regarding the efficacy of AAIs in MDD populations. Specifically, we aim to evaluate the modulation of cortisol and oxytocin as primary biomarkers and to delineate the role of C-tactile (CT) afferent pathways in mediating these physiological shifts. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2000-2026), focusing on quantitative studies and meta-analyses investigating neuroendocrine responses to AAIs in depressive or high-stress populations. The evidence indicates that even brief (10-20 minute) interactions with animals can lead to a significant reduction in salivary cortisol levels, suggesting rapid HPA axis stabilization. Furthermore, oxytocin secretion, stimulated by visual and tactile contact, enhances emotional regulation. This process is further mediated by the activation of CT-tactile afferents during petting, which project to the insular cortex to promote anxiolytic effects. Comparative analysis suggests that while canine-assisted interventions yield acute stress reduction, equine-assisted therapies may influence long-term diurnal cortisol rhythms. AAIs offer a measurable, biologically grounded supportive treatment for MDD. While promising, the field requires standardized protocols and large-scale longitudinal studies to establish evidence-based guidelines for clinical psychiatric practice.
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Registered trials
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.