@article{01KG6YKK7AXFXHY1GC86WGRS15,
  abstract     = {{Chronic pain remains a major clinical challenge, with current treatments often providing insufficient relief. Oxytocin, classically recognized for its roles in reproduction and social bonding, has gained increasing attention for its potential involvement in pain modulation. Evidence suggests that oxytocin influences both nociceptive processing and broader dimensions of pain, including stress regulation, cognitive-affective processing and social context. Despite this promise, clinical findings remain mixed. In this opinion paper, we summarize and discuss the rationale and current clinical evidence for the role of oxytocin in chronic pain (management), highlighting key research gaps and outlining future directions focused on: endogenous oxytocin system variability, biological modulators of its effects, dosing and timing strategies, and the role of psychosocial context. We propose that oxytocin should be reconceptualized not as a straightforward analgesic, but rather as a biopsychosocial adjuvant that acts across interacting biological, psychological, and social domains of pain. Positioning oxytocin within this framework may clarify for whom, when, and under what conditions oxytocin can be most effective, and ultimately guide its translational potential in chronic pain management.}},
  articleno    = {{106586}},
  author       = {{Moerkerke, Matthijs and Coppieters, Iris and Timmers, Inge and Van Oosterwijck, Jessica}},
  issn         = {{0149-7634}},
  journal      = {{NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS}},
  keywords     = {{Oxytocin,Chronic pain,Biopsychosocial framework,INTRANASAL OXYTOCIN,DOUBLE-BLIND,PLASMA OXYTOCIN,NEURAL ACTIVITY,SOCIAL SUPPORT,MODULATION,CORTISOL,VASOPRESSIN,PERCEPTION,MIGRAINE}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{8}},
  title        = {{Oxytocin in chronic pain : from analgesic to biopsychosocial adjuvant : an opinion paper}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106586}},
  volume       = {{183}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}

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