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The neural mechanisms and circuitry of the pair bond

Hasse Walum; Larry J. Young · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · 2018 · Narrative review

Original publication · Original publication · Original publication · Original publication

Recorded summary

This review describes how oxytocin, dopamine and vasopressin interact with reward and social-memory circuits during pair-bond formation and maintenance. It connects experimental work in prairie voles and other animals with questions about human attachment.

Recorded limitations

A narrative synthesis with substantial animal evidence; it is not a pooled estimate of a human treatment effect.

Evidence and provenance

Chapter Trust Factor uses a minimum of three distinct qualifying studies. Publication records retain their own evidence and assessment.

Study design and assessment
design
Narrative review
assessment
category
review
peer Reviewed
true
basis
Narrative review. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
sources

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/

reviewed At
2026-10-23
trust Factor
score
1
scope
Paper
status
assessed
randomized Controlled Trial
false
blinding
not-applicable
peer Reviewed
true
basis
Narrative review. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/

review Scope
Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
assessed At
2026-10-27
jadad
status
unassessed
score
Not recorded
evidence
evidence Type
Brain & nervous system
sample
Animal studies and human attachment research
measurement
Review of neural circuits and receptor mechanisms
measured Genes
None recorded
relationship Note
A narrative synthesis with substantial animal evidence; it is not a pooled estimate of a human treatment effect.
source URLs

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/

checked At
2026-10-23
Topics and recorded topic scores
  1. key
    general:neurotransmitter-signalling
    title
    Oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine signalling
    collection
    general
    trust Score
    1
Citation snapshot and identifiers
id
pmid-30301953
doi
10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6
pmid
30301953
citation Snapshot
count
346
source
Crossref
retrieved At
2026-10-23
url
https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6
citations By Collection
general
346
Complete approved library record
id
pmid-30301953
aliases
None recorded
title
The neural mechanisms and circuitry of the pair bond
journal
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
publisher Family
nature
publisher Family Label
Nature Portfolio
neurotransmitters

Oxytocin · Dopamine · Vasopressin

year
2018
authors
Hasse Walum; Larry J. Young
design
Narrative review
kind
Review
identity Conflict
Not recorded
doi
10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6
pmid
30301953
urls

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/

collections

general

categories

Brain & nervous system

targets

OXTR · DRD2 · AVPR1A

priority
1
quotes
None recorded
summary
This review describes how oxytocin, dopamine and vasopressin interact with reward and social-memory circuits during pair-bond formation and maintenance. It connects experimental work in prairie voles and other animals with questions about human attachment.
limitation
A narrative synthesis with substantial animal evidence; it is not a pooled estimate of a human treatment effect.
citation Count
346
citation Snapshot
count
346
source
Crossref
retrieved At
2026-10-23
url
https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6
study Design Assessment
category
review
peer Reviewed
true
basis
Narrative review. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
sources

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/

reviewed At
2026-10-23
paper Trust Assessment
score
1
scope
Paper
status
assessed
randomized Controlled Trial
false
blinding
not-applicable
peer Reviewed
true
basis
Narrative review. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/

review Scope
Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
assessed At
2026-10-27
citations By Collection
general
346
topics
  1. key
    general:neurotransmitter-signalling
    title
    Oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine signalling
    collection
    general
    trust Score
    1
journal Key
naturereviewsneuroscience
journal Label
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
chapter Entries
  1. title
    The neural mechanisms and circuitry of the pair bond
    journal
    Nature Reviews Neuroscience
    year
    2018
    authors
    Hasse Walum; Larry J. Young
    design
    Narrative review
    urls

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/

    doi
    10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6
    pmid
    30301953
    targets

    OXTR · DRD2 · AVPR1A

    neurotransmitters

    Oxytocin · Dopamine · Vasopressin

    categories

    Brain & nervous system

    citation Count
    346
    citation Snapshot
    count
    346
    source
    Crossref
    retrieved At
    2026-10-23
    url
    https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6
    study Design Assessment
    category
    review
    peer Reviewed
    true
    basis
    Narrative review. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
    sources

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/

    reviewed At
    2026-10-23
    evidence
    evidence Type
    Brain & nervous system
    sample
    Animal studies and human attachment research
    measurement
    Review of neural circuits and receptor mechanisms
    measured Genes
    None recorded
    relationship Note
    A narrative synthesis with substantial animal evidence; it is not a pooled estimate of a human treatment effect.
    source URLs

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/

    checked At
    2026-10-23
    id
    general-neurotransmitter-signalling-pmid-30301953
    record Id
    pmid-30301953
    quotes
    None recorded
    source Pages
    None recorded
    summary
    This review describes how oxytocin, dopamine and vasopressin interact with reward and social-memory circuits during pair-bond formation and maintenance. It connects experimental work in prairie voles and other animals with questions about human attachment.
    limitation
    A narrative synthesis with substantial animal evidence; it is not a pooled estimate of a human treatment effect.
    paper Trust Assessment
    score
    1
    scope
    Paper
    status
    assessed
    randomized Controlled Trial
    false
    blinding
    not-applicable
    peer Reviewed
    true
    basis
    Narrative review. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
    sources

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/

    review Scope
    Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
    assessed At
    2026-10-27
    collection
    general
    chapter Number
    8
    topic Id
    neurotransmitter-signalling
    topic Title
    Oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine signalling
    trust Score
    1
evidence
evidence Type
Brain & nervous system
sample
Animal studies and human attachment research
measurement
Review of neural circuits and receptor mechanisms
measured Genes
None recorded
relationship Note
A narrative synthesis with substantial animal evidence; it is not a pooled estimate of a human treatment effect.
source URLs

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283620/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30301953/

checked At
2026-10-23
jadad
status
unassessed
score
Not recorded
condition Evidence
None recorded
conditions
None recorded
topic Trust Scores

1

full Text
status
reuse-review
retrieval Available
false
url
https://pmc-oa-opendata.s3.amazonaws.com/PMC6283620.1/PMC6283620.1.xml?md5=de7f8d0dc4c57789fab62a10e703bd16
pmcid
PMC6283620
rights
license
TDM
use
Private text mining
public Fulltext Redistribution
false
provider Upload
false
model Training
false
basis
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/tools/pmcaws/
article Rights

This file is available for text mining. It may also be used consistent with the principles of fair use under the copyright law.

sha256
f10b7e572ff4b64c0030e90f2824d02402f84424f3acaba56f04a0c42d061b2c
checked At
2026-10-24

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