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Kreuder AK, Wassermann L, Wollseifer M, Ditzen B, Eckstein M, Stoffel-Wagner B, Hennig J, Hurlemann R, Scheele D. Oxytocin enhances the pain-relieving effects of social support in romantic couples. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 40:242-251. [PMID: 30152573 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Social support plays a vital role in physical and mental well-being. The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin (OXT) has been implicated in modulating pair-bonding and affiliative behaviors, but whether OXT contributes to the analgesic effects of a romantic partner's touch remains elusive. In the present randomized placebo-controlled, between-group, functional magnetic resonance imaging study involving 194 healthy volunteers (97 heterosexual couples), we tested the effects of intranasal OXT (24 IU) on handholding as a common mode of expressing emotional support in romantic couples. We scanned the subjects while brief electric shocks were administered. The subjects assumed that they received social support from either their romantic partner or an unfamiliar person. Unbeknown to the subject, in the partner and stranger support conditions, the same male experimenter always held the subject's left hand. Partner support was most effective in reducing the unpleasantness of electric shocks, and OXT further attenuated the unpleasantness across conditions. On the neural level, OXT significantly augmented the beneficial effects of partner support, as evidenced by a stronger decrease of neural responses to shocks in the anterior insula (AI), a stronger activity increase in the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and a strengthened functional coupling between the AI and MFG. Our results support the notion that OXT specifically modulates the beneficial effects of social support in romantic couples by concomitantly reducing pain-associated activity and increasing activity linked to cognitive control and pain inhibition. We hypothesize that impaired OXT signaling may contribute to the experience of a lack of partner support.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lea Wassermann
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Beate Ditzen
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Monika Eckstein
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Juergen Hennig
- Division of Personality Psychology and Individual Differences, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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52
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Ma X, Zhao W, Luo R, Zhou F, Geng Y, Xu L, Gao Z, Zheng X, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Sex- and context-dependent effects of oxytocin on social sharing. Neuroimage 2018; 183:62-72. [PMID: 30086408 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We interact socially and form bonds with others because such experiences are rewarding. However, an insecure attachment style or social anxiety can reduce these rewarding effects. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) may facilitate social interactions either by increasing their rewarding experience or by attenuating anxiety, although effects can be sex- and attachment-style dependent. In this study, 128 pairs of same-sex friends completed a social sharing paradigm in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject design with one friend inside an MRI scanner and the other in a remote behavioral testing room. In this way we could examine whether intranasal-OXT differentially modulated the emotional impact of social sharing and associated neural processing. Additionally, we investigated if OXT effects were modulated by sex and attachment style. Results showed that in women, but not men, OXT increased ratings for sharing stimuli with their friend but not with a stranger, particularly in the friend in the scanner. Corresponding neuroimaging results showed that OXT decreased both amygdala and insula activity as well as their functional connectivity in women when they shared with friends but had the opposite effect in men. On the other hand, OXT did not enhance responses in brain reward circuitry. In the PLC treated group amygdala responses in women when they shared pictures with their friend were positively associated with attachment anxiety and OXT uncoupled this. Our findings demonstrate that OXT facilitates the impact of sharing positive experiences with others in women, but not men, and that this is associated with differential effects on the amygdala and insula and their functional connections. Furthermore, OXT particularly reduced increased amygdala responses during sharing in individuals with higher attachment anxiety. Thus, OXT effects in this context may be due more to reduced anxiety when sharing with a friend than to enhanced social reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaole Ma
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
| | - Ruixue Luo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
| | - Yayuan Geng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
| | - Lei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
| | - Zhao Gao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China.
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Schuh-Hofer S, Eichhorn N, Grinevich V, Treede RD. Sleep Deprivation Related Changes of Plasma Oxytocin in Males and Female Contraceptive Users Depend on Sex and Correlate Differentially With Anxiety and Pain Hypersensitivity. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:161. [PMID: 30116181 PMCID: PMC6082934 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Disturbed sleep is known to substantially aggravate both the pain condition and the affective state of pain patients. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying these adverse effects are unknown. Oxytocin (OT), being largely involved in social and emotional behavior, is considered to also play a modulatory role in nociception. We hypothesized a pathophysiological role of OT for the hyperalgesic and anxiogenic effects of sleep loss. An established human model of one night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) was used to test this hypothesis. Twenty young healthy students (n = 10 male and n = 10 female) were investigated in a balanced cross-over design, contrasting TSD with a night of habitual sleep (HS). All females took monophasic oral contraceptives (OC) and were investigated during their ‘pill-free’ phase. Plasma OT concentrations were correlated with (1) pain thresholds, (2) descending pain inhibition, and (3) state-anxiety scores. Compared to the HS condition, the plasma OT concentration was significantly increased in sleep deprived females (p = 0.02) but not males (p = 0.69). TSD resulted in pain hypersensitivity to noxious cold (p = 0.05), noxious heat (p = 0.023), and pricking stimuli (p = 0.013) and significantly increased state-anxiety (p = 0.021). While, independent of sex, lower heat pain thresholds correlated with higher plasma OT (p = 0.036), no such associations were found for cold/mechanical pain. In sleep-deprived females, higher plasma OT showed a mild (but insignificant) association with lower pain inhibition (p = 0.093). We found a positive correlation between anxiety-scores and OT (p = 0.021), which was enhanced when respecting “sex” (p = 0.008) and “sleep” (p = 0.001) in a hierarchical regression analysis. Altogether, our study revealed a complex and partially sex-dependent correlation between plasma OT and TSD-induced changes of experimental pain and anxiety. The minor role of OT for TSD-induced changes of evoked pain, and its major involvement in anxiety, argues against a specific role of OT for linking the adverse effects of TSD on pain sensitivity and anxiety with each other. Future investigations are needed in order to dissect out the effect of OC on the sex-dependent effects of TSD observed in our study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigrid Schuh-Hofer
- Department of Neurophysiology, Centre of Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Clinic for Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nicole Eichhorn
- Department of Neurophysiology, Centre of Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg and Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rolf-Detlef Treede
- Department of Neurophysiology, Centre of Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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54
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Flanagan JC, Hand A, Jarnecke AM, Moran-Santa Maria MM, Brady KT, Joseph JE. Effects of oxytocin on working memory and executive control system connectivity in posttraumatic stress disorder. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2018; 26:391-402. [PMID: 30070567 PMCID: PMC6075739 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating condition for which effective medications are scant and little is known about neural correlates of risk versus resilience. Oxytocin is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that has demonstrated promise in modulating neurobiological and behavioral correlates of PTSD. Cognitive deficits in areas such as working memory and executive control are highly prevalent among individuals with PTSD and oxytocin might modulate these impairments in individuals with PTSD. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, this study employed functional MRI (fMRI) and the n-back working memory task to examine the effects of oxytocin (24 IU) versus placebo on working memory and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) connectivity among individuals with PTSD (n = 16) as compared with a trauma-exposed control group (n = 18). Results indicate that individuals with PTSD on oxytocin performed better in the 2-back condition of the n-back task compared with individuals with PTSD on placebo. Results also indicate that connectivity between DLPFC and anterior cingulate increased in the 2-back condition among individuals with PTSD on oxytocin as compared with placebo. These findings provide preliminary evidence of an effect of oxytocin on working memory among individuals with PTSD and insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this association. Future studies are necessary to understand the mechanisms responsible for working memory deficits in PTSD and to examine the potential of oxytocin for use as a treatment for PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne C. Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Anne Hand
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Amber M. Jarnecke
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | | | - Kathleen T. Brady
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC
| | - Jane E. Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
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55
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Peltola MJ, Strathearn L, Puura K. Oxytocin promotes face-sensitive neural responses to infant and adult faces in mothers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 91:261-270. [PMID: 29478725 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Research utilizing intranasal oxytocin (OT) administration has shown that OT may increase attention and sensitivity to social cues, such as faces. Given the pivotal role of OT in parental behaviors across mammals, the paucity of intranasal OT research investigating responses to social cues in parents and particularly mothers of young children is a critical limitation. In the current study, we recorded cortical event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate whether intranasal OT affects the early neural responses to emotional faces in mothers of 1-year-old infants. Using a double-blind, within-subjects design, mothers (n = 38) were administered intranasal OT and placebo on separate sessions and presented with happy and sad infant and adult faces while ERP components reflecting face-sensitive brain activation and attention allocation were measured. We hypothesized that ERP responses to faces would be larger in the OT condition and that the effects of OT on ERP responses would be more pronounced for infant faces. The amplitudes of the face-sensitive N170 ERP component were larger in the OT condition to infant and adult faces, but no clear support was found for the hypothesis that the responses to infant faces would be more susceptible to OT effects than the responses to adult faces. The attention-sensitive late positive potential (LPP) component was not modulated by intranasal substance condition. The results are in line with the view that OT acts to enhance the perceptual salience of social and emotional stimuli. Demonstrating such effects in mothers of young children encourages further investigation of the potential of intranasal OT to affect the perception of social cues relevant for parent-child interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikko J Peltola
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences, 33014, University of Tampere, Finland.
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, and the Center for Disabilities and Development, United States
| | - Kaija Puura
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, Finland; Tampere Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland
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56
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Spengler FB, Scheele D, Marsh N, Kofferath C, Flach A, Schwarz S, Stoffel-Wagner B, Maier W, Hurlemann R. Oxytocin facilitates reciprocity in social communication. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 12:1325-1333. [PMID: 28444316 PMCID: PMC5597889 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Synchrony in social groups may confer significant evolutionary advantages by improving group cohesion and social interaction. However, the neurobiological mechanisms translating social synchrony into refined social information transmission between interacting individuals are still elusive. In two successively conducted experiments involving a total of 306 healthy volunteers, we explored the involvement of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) in reciprocal social interaction. First, we show that synchronous social interactions evoke heightened endogenous OXT release in dyadic partners. In a second step, we examined the consequences of elevated OXT concentrations on emotion transmission by intranasally administering synthetic OXT before recording emotional expressions. Intriguingly, our data demonstrate that the subjects’ facial and vocal expressiveness of fear and happiness is enhanced after OXT compared with placebo administration. Collectively, our findings point to a central role of social synchrony in facilitating reciprocal communication between individuals via heightened OXT signaling. Elevated OXT concentrations among synchronized individuals seem to augment the partners’ emotional expressiveness, thereby contributing to improved transmission of emotional information in social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franny B Spengler
- Department of Psychiatry.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Department of Psychiatry.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Nina Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Charlotte Kofferath
- Department of Psychiatry.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Aileen Flach
- Department of Psychiatry.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Sarah Schwarz
- Department of Psychiatry.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Maier
- Department of Psychiatry.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
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57
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Intranasal oxytocin reduces heart rate variability during a mental arithmetic task: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 81:408-415. [PMID: 28844717 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Heart rate variability (HRV) refers to variation in the interval between successive heart beats. Low HRV is an indicator of potential autonomic nervous system dysfunction. People with chronic pain often display autonomic dysregulation, especially in the parasympathetic nervous system. The hormone oxytocin has been shown to increase HRV in non-clinical samples, but its potential impact on HRV in persons with chronic pain is unknown. This study investigated the impact of intranasal oxytocin on HRV in persons with chronic neck and shoulder pain. Participants included 24 individuals with chronic neck and shoulder pain lasting >12months and 24 age- and sex-matched pain-free controls. In a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, participants self-administered intranasal oxytocin (24IU) in one session, and placebo in another, before HRV was recorded at rest and during a mental arithmetic task. Intranasal oxytocin did not influence HRV at rest. However, compared to placebo, intranasal oxytocin elicited small decreases in low-frequency and high-frequency HRV in both groups during the mental arithmetic task. These results suggest that intranasal oxytocin may enhance the salience of the mental arithmetic task, leading to reduced engagement of the parasympathetic nervous system when completing the task. Further investigation and replication of these findings are required to improve our understanding of the effects of intranasal oxytocin on autonomic functioning both at rest and under cognitive stress.
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58
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Bolea-Alamanac B, Bailey SJ, Lovick TA, Scheele D, Valentino R. Female psychopharmacology matters! Towards a sex-specific psychopharmacology. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:125-133. [PMID: 29405799 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117747578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing recognition that women have a higher prevalence of certain psychiatric illnesses, and a differential treatment response and course of illness compared to men. Additionally, clinicians deal with a number of disorders like premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and postpartum depression, which affect women specifically and for which treatment and biological pathways are still unclear. In this article we highlight recent research which suggests that different biological mechanisms may underlie sex differences in responsiveness to stress. Sex differences are evident at the receptor level; where the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor shows differential coupling to adaptor proteins in males and females. The neuropeptide oxytocin also shows sex-specific effects in a range of social behaviors. It may act as a biomarker in post-traumatic stress disorder where sex differences are evident. Studies in women using hormonal contraception show that some of these oxytocin-mediated effects are likely influenced by sex hormones. In female rats rapid changes in circulating progesterone levels are associated with exaggerated behavioral responses to mild stress and blunted responses to benzodiazepines that could be prevented by acute treatment with low-dose fluoxetine. Perceived barriers in research on women have hindered progress. The development of a sex-specific psychopharmacology as a basis for translating this type of research into clinical practice is vital to improve treatment outcomes for women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah J Bailey
- 2 Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Thelma A Lovick
- 3 School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Dirk Scheele
- 4 Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Rita Valentino
- 5 Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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59
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Oxytocin shapes the priorities and neural representations of attitudes and values. Behav Brain Sci 2017; 40:e241. [PMID: 29122030 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x16000807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The phylogenetically ancient neuropeptide oxytocin has been linked to a plethora of social behaviors. Here, we argue that the action of oxytocin is not restricted to the downstream level of emotional responses, but substantially alters higher representations of attitudes and values by exerting a distant modulatory influence on cortical areas and their reciprocal interplay with subcortical regions and hormonal systems.
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60
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Nawijn L, van Zuiden M, Koch SBJ, Frijling JL, Veltman DJ, Olff M. Intranasal oxytocin increases neural responses to social reward in post-traumatic stress disorder. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:212-223. [PMID: 27614769 PMCID: PMC5390752 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic alliance and perceived social support are important predictors of treatment response for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Intranasal oxytocin administration may enhance treatment response by increasing sensitivity for social reward and thereby therapeutic alliance and perceived social support. As a first step to investigate this therapeutical potential, we investigated whether intranasal oxytocin enhances neural sensitivity to social reward in PTSD patients. Male and female police officers with (n = 35) and without PTSD (n = 37) were included in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over fMRI study. After intranasal oxytocin (40 IU) and placebo administration, a social incentive delay task was conducted to investigate neural responses during social reward and punishment anticipation and feedback. Under placebo, PTSD patients showed reduced left anterior insula (AI) responses to social rewards (i.e. happy faces) compared with controls. Oxytocin administration increased left AI responses during social reward in PTSD patients, such that PTSD patients no longer differed from controls under placebo. Furthermore, in PTSD patients, oxytocin increased responses to social reward in the right putamen. By normalizing abberant insula responses and increasing putamen responses to social reward, oxytocin administration may enhance sensitivity for social support and therapeutic alliance in PTSD patients. Future studies are needed to investigate clinical effects of oxytocin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Nawijn
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam van Zuiden
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia B J Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jessie L Frijling
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007?MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Miranda Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Nienoord 5, 1112 XE Diemen, The Netherlands
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61
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Liu XY, Cui D, Li D, Jiao R, Wang X, Jia S, Hou D, Li T, Liu H, Wang P, Wang YF. Oxytocin Removes Estrous Female vs. Male Preference of Virgin Male Rats: Mediation of the Supraoptic Nucleus Via Olfactory Bulbs. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:327. [PMID: 29109676 PMCID: PMC5660071 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Social functions of oxytocin (OT) have been explored extensively; however, relationship between the effect of intranasally applied OT (nasal OT) on the social preference (SP) and intracerebral actions of endogenous OT remains unclear. To resolve this question, we first observed effects of nasal OT on the SP of virgin young adult male rats toward unfamiliar virgin estrous female (EF) vs. virgin male rats. The results showed that the test male rats exhibited significantly more times and longer duration accessing the female than the male, which were acutely eliminated by nasal OT. Then, we examined the approaches mediating nasal OT effects on the activity of potential brain targets in Western blots and found that nasal OT activated the olfactory bulbs (OBs) and the supraoptic nucleus (SON), but not the piriform cortex, amygdala and hippocampus as shown by significant changes in the expression of c-Fos and/or phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (pERK) 1/2. Moreover, microinjection of TTX into the OBs blocked nasal OT-evoked increases in pERK1/2 levels as well as the molecular association between ERK1/2 and OT-neurophysin in the SON. Electrolytic lesions of the lateral olfactory tract did not significantly change the basal levels of pERK 1/2 in the SON; however, upon nasal OT, pERK 1/2 levels in the SON reduced significantly. Lastly, microinjection of L-aminoadipic acid (gliotoxin) into the SON to reduce OT levels reduced the duration of the test male’s accessing the EF and blocked the nasal OT-evoked increase in the duration of test male’s accessing the male while significantly increasing pERK1/2 levels in the amygdala. These findings reveal for the first time that nasal OT acutely eliminates virgin males’ SP to EFs via the OB-SON route and that OT neurons could mediate the social effects of nasal OT by suppressing social phobia generated in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yu Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Dan Cui
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Dongyang Li
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Runsheng Jiao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaoran Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shuwei Jia
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Dan Hou
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Tong Li
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Haitao Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yu-Feng Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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62
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Tracy LM, Labuschagne I, Georgiou-Karistianis N, Gibson SJ, Giummarra MJ. Sex-specific effects of intranasal oxytocin on thermal pain perception: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 83:101-110. [PMID: 28601750 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Chronic neck and shoulder pain (CNSP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder in adults, which is linked to hypersensitivity to noxious stimuli. The hormone oxytocin has been implicated as a potential therapeutic for the management of chronic pain disorders, and has been suggested to have sex-specific effects on the salience of threatening stimuli. This study investigated the influence of intranasal oxytocin on the perception of noxious thermal stimuli. Participants were 24 individuals with CNSP lasting >12months (eight women), and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy, pain-free controls. In a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, participants attended two sessions, self-administering intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) in one session, and placebo in another. Participants rated intensity and unpleasantness of thermal heat stimuli at three body sites: the cervical spine, deltoid, and tibialis anterior, on 11-point numerical rating scales. Compared with placebo, intranasal oxytocin increased the perceived intensity of noxious heat stimuli in women with CNSP (Cohen's d=0.71), but not in men with CNSP, or healthy, pain-free controls. Men and women displayed divergent sensitivity across target sites for ratings of pain intensity (partial eta squared=0.12) and pain unpleasantness (partial eta squared=0.24), irrespective of drug condition. Men were more sensitive at the cervical spine and deltoid, whereas women were more sensitive at the tibialis. These findings suggest that oxytocin and endogenous sex hormones may interact to influence the salience of noxious stimuli. The hyperalgesic effects of oxytocin in women suggest that caution should be taken when considering oxytocin in the management of chronic pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION CT-2016-CTN-01313-1; ACTRN12616000532404.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lincoln M Tracy
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute for Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Caulfield Pain Management & Research Centre, Caulfield Hospital, Caulfield, VIC, Australia.
| | - Izelle Labuschagne
- School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia
| | - Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute for Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephen J Gibson
- Caulfield Pain Management & Research Centre, Caulfield Hospital, Caulfield, VIC, Australia; National Aging Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Melita J Giummarra
- Caulfield Pain Management & Research Centre, Caulfield Hospital, Caulfield, VIC, Australia; School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Institute for Safety, Compensation & Recovery Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Kreuder A, Scheele D, Wassermann L, Wollseifer M, Stoffel‐Wagner B, Lee MR, Hennig J, Maier W, Hurlemann R. How the brain codes intimacy: The neurobiological substrates of romantic touch. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:4525-4534. [PMID: 28580708 PMCID: PMC6867116 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans belong to a minority of mammalian species that exhibit monogamous pair-bonds, thereby enabling biparental care of offspring. The high reward value of interpersonal closeness and touch in couples is a key proximate mechanism facilitating the maintenance of enduring romantic bonds. However, surprisingly, the neurobiological underpinnings mediating the unique experience of a romantic partner's touch remain unknown. In this randomized placebo (PLC)-controlled, between-group, pharmacofunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study involving 192 healthy volunteers (96 heterosexual couples), we intranasally administered 24 IU of the hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OXT) to either the man or the woman. Subsequently, we scanned the subjects while they assumed that they were being touched by their romantic partners or by an unfamiliar person of the opposite sex, although in reality an identical pattern of touch was always given by the same experimenter. Our results show that intranasal OXT compared to PLC selectively enhanced the subjective pleasantness of the partner's touch. Importantly, intranasal OXT selectively increased responses to partner touch in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and anterior cingulate cortex. Under OXT, NAcc activations to partner touch positively correlated with the subjects' evaluation of their relationship quality. Collectively, our results suggest that OXT may contribute to the maintenance of monogamous relationships in humans by concomitantly increasing the reward value of partner touch and diminishing the hedonic quality of stranger touch. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4525-4534, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann‐Kathrin Kreuder
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
- Division of Medical PsychologyUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
- Division of Medical PsychologyUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
| | - Lea Wassermann
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
- Division of Medical PsychologyUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
| | - Michael Wollseifer
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
- Division of Medical PsychologyUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
| | - Birgit Stoffel‐Wagner
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical PharmacologyUniversity of BonnBonn53127Germany
| | - Mary R. Lee
- Section on Psychoneuroendocrinology and NeuropsychopharmacologyNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and National Institute on Drug AbuseBethesdaMaryland20892‐1108
| | - Juergen Hennig
- Division of Personality Psychology and Individual DifferencesUniversity of GiessenGiessen35394Germany
| | - Wolfgang Maier
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)Bonn53175Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
- Division of Medical PsychologyUniversity of BonnBonn53105Germany
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Quintana DS, Dieset I, Elvsåshagen T, Westlye LT, Andreassen OA. Oxytocin system dysfunction as a common mechanism underlying metabolic syndrome and psychiatric symptoms in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 45:1-10. [PMID: 28049009 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is growing interest in using intranasal oxytocin (OT) to treat social dysfunction in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders (i.e., psychotic disorders). While OT treatment results have been mixed, emerging evidence suggests that OT system dysfunction may also play a role in the etiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which appears in one-third of individuals with psychotic disorders and associated with increased mortality. Here we examine the evidence for a potential role of the OT system in the shared risk for MetS and psychotic disorders, and its prospects for ameliorating MetS. Using several studies to demonstrate the overlapping neurobiological profiles of metabolic risk factors and psychiatric symptoms, we show that OT system dysfunction may be one common mechanism underlying MetS and psychotic disorders. Given the critical need to better understand metabolic dysregulation in these disorders, future OT trials assessing behavioural and cognitive outcomes should additionally include metabolic risk factor parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Quintana
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Ingrid Dieset
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torbjørn Elvsåshagen
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T Westlye
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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65
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Hecht EE, Robins DL, Gautam P, King TZ. Intranasal oxytocin reduces social perception in women: Neural activation and individual variation. Neuroimage 2017; 147:314-329. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.12.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Sippel LM, Allington CE, Pietrzak RH, Harpaz-Rotem I, Mayes LC, Olff M. Oxytocin and Stress-related Disorders: Neurobiological Mechanisms and Treatment Opportunities. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2017; 1:2470547016687996. [PMID: 28649672 PMCID: PMC5482285 DOI: 10.1177/2470547016687996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Novel pharmacotherapies that improve outcomes for individuals with stress-related psychiatric disorders are needed. The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) is a promising candidate given its influence on the social-emotional brain. In this review, we present an overview of evidence supporting OT's utility for treating major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. We first discuss endogenous OT, which research suggests is not yet a reliable biomarker of stress-related disorders. Second, we review effects of intranasal (IN) OT on processes relevant to stress-related disorders in healthy populations (anhedonia, reward processing, psychosocial stress reactivity, fear/anxiety, and social behavior) and their neurobiological mechanisms (e.g., the salience network and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). Third, we present the sparse but promising findings from clinical populations, followed by discussion of critical moderating variables to consider in the service of maximizing the therapeutic potential of OT (e.g., patient sex and child maltreatment). We also identify heterogeneous findings and limitations of existing research, including reliance on single-dose studies in psychiatrically healthy samples and unanswered questions regarding the effectiveness of IN drug delivery and dosing schedules. Well-controlled multidose studies including women and measures of potentially moderating variables are sorely needed and would inform our understanding of the utility of OT for preventing and treating stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Sippel
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Robert H. Pietrzak
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Miranda Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic
Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen,
The Netherlands
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Montoya ER, Bos PA. How Oral Contraceptives Impact Social-Emotional Behavior and Brain Function. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:125-136. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Abstract
The expression of emotion in faces serves numerous meaningful functions, such as conveying messages of danger or approach, facilitating communication, and promoting the formation of social bonds and relationships. The study of facial expressions of emotion has become integral to research in social psychology and social neuroscience, particularly with respect to the neuropeptide oxytocin. This chapter examines how oxytocin influences the processing of emotion in faces by reviewing intranasal administration studies of automatic processing, selective attention, and emotion recognition. Two important trends in the literature have been identified: exogenous oxytocin attenuates early attentional biases towards negative stimuli and increases selective attention and recognition of emotional cues in faces, particularly around the eyes. Both of these effects can be traced to well-delineated neural circuits involving amygdala, early visual processing areas, and reward circuits, and both purportedly facilitate approach-related behavior when affiliative opportunities are available. These data are integrated into a conceptual model incorporating contextual factors and moderating influences, as oxytocinergic effects on cognition and social behavior appear to vary in persons along indices of social competence, interpersonal sensitivity, and early adversity. Limitations of this literature and future directions for research are briefly discussed.
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Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has emerged as a potent modulator of diverse aspects of interpersonal relationships. OT appears to work in close interaction with several other neurotransmitter networks, including the dopaminergic reward circuit, and to be dependent on sex-specific hormonal influences. In this chapter, we focus on four main domains of OT and interpersonal relationships, including (1) the protective effect of OT on an individual's ability to withstand stress (i.e., stress buffering), (2) the effect of OT on emotion recognition and empathy, (3) OT's ability to enhance social synchrony and cooperation among individuals, and (4) the effect of OT on an individual's perception of social touch. We then illustrate the connection between OT and loneliness while grieving the loss of a loved one. We finish by discussing the clinical potential of OT, focusing on its potential role as an adjunct to psychotherapy, its enhancement through sex-specific hormonal influences, and the difficulties that present themselves when considering OT as a therapy. Overall, we argue that OT continues to hold strong therapeutic promise, but that it is strongly dependent on internal and external influences, for instance the patient's personal past experiences and interaction with the therapist, in order to provide the best possible therapy.
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Abstract
Social dysfunction is a core symptom of many psychiatric disorders and current medications have little or no remedial effects on this. Following on from extensive studies on animal models demonstrating that the neuropeptide oxytocin plays an important role in social recognition and bonding, human-based research has explored its therapeutic potential for social dysfunction in psychiatric disorders. Here we outline the historical background of this human-based research and some of the current methodological challenges it is facing. To date, research has primarily attempted to establish functional effects through measuring altered endogenous concentrations, observing effects of exogenous administration and by investigating the effects of polymorphisms and epigenetic modifications of the oxytocin receptor gene. We summarize some of the key findings on behavioral and neural effects that have been reported in healthy subjects in the context of social cognition which have provided encouragement that oxytocin could represent a promising therapeutic target. At the same time, we have identified a number of key areas where we urgently need further information about optimal dosing strategies and interactions with other peptide and transmitter systems. Finally, we have summarized current translational findings, particularly in the context of therapeutic outcomes of intranasal oxytocin administration in autism and schizophrenia. These clinical findings while somewhat varied in outcome do offer increasing cause for optimism that targeting the oxytocin system may provide a successful therapeutic approach for social dysfunction. However, future research needs to focus on the most effective treatment strategy and which types of individuals are likely to benefit most.
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Striepens N, Schröter F, Stoffel-Wagner B, Maier W, Hurlemann R, Scheele D. Oxytocin enhances cognitive control of food craving in women. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:4276-4285. [PMID: 27381253 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In developed countries, obesity has become an epidemic resulting in enormous health care costs for society and serious medical complications for individuals. The homeostatic regulation of food intake is critically dependent on top-down control of reward-driven food craving. There is accumulating evidence from animal studies that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is involved in regulating hunger states and eating behavior, but whether OXT also contributes to cognitive control of food craving in humans is still unclear. We conducted a counter-balanced, double-blind, within-subject, pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging experiment involving 31 healthy women who received 24 IU of intranasal OXT or placebo and were scanned twice while they were exposed to pictures of palatable food. The participants were instructed either to imagine the immediate consumption or to cognitively control the urge to eat the food. Our results show a trend that OXT specifically reduced food craving in the cognitive control condition. On the neural level, these findings were paralleled by an increase of activity in the middle and superior frontal gyrus, precuneus, and cingulate cortex under OXT. Interestingly, the behavioral OXT effect correlated with the OXT-induced changes in the prefrontal cortex and precuneus. Collectively, the present study provides first evidence that OXT plays a key role in the cognitive regulation of food craving in women by strengthening activity in a broad neurocircuitry implicated in top-down control and self-referential processing. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4276-4285, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Striepens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany
| | - Franziska Schröter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany
| | - Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Maier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53175, Bonn, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany
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