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Mierop A, Mikolajczak M, Stahl C, Béna J, Luminet O, Lane A, Corneille O. How Can Intranasal Oxytocin Research Be Trusted? A Systematic Review of the Interactive Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Psychosocial Outcomes. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 15:1228-1242. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691620921525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, research about the role of oxytocin (OT) in human behavior has grown exponentially. However, a unified theory of OT effects has yet to be developed. Relatedly, growing concerns about the robustness of conclusions drawn in the field have been raised. The current article contributes to this debate by reporting on and discussing key conclusions from a systematic review of published studies addressing the interactive effects of intranasal OT (IN-OT) administration on psychosocial outcomes in a healthy population. The review indicates that (a) tested interactive IN-OT effects were highly heterogeneous; (b) for most published interactions, no replication was attempted; (c) when attempted, replications were largely unsuccessful; (d) significance was unrelated to sample size; (e) statistical power was critically low and unrelated to the rate of significant results; and (f) research practices were characteristic of an exploratory approach. This concerning state of affairs makes it virtually impossible to tease apart true from false interactive IN-OT effects. We provide constructive directions on the basis of this observation and positive predictive value simulations for future research that should help extract true effects from noise and move the IN-OT field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Mierop
- Research Institute of Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain
| | | | - C. Stahl
- Department of Psychology, University of Cologne
| | - J. Béna
- Le Laboratoire Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie, University of Toulouse, CNRS
| | - O. Luminet
- Research Institute of Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain
- Fund for Scientific Research, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A. Lane
- Research Institute of Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain
| | - O. Corneille
- Research Institute of Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain
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102
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Exogenous effects of oxytocin in five psychiatric disorders: a systematic review, meta-analyses and a personalized approach through the lens of the social salience hypothesis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 114:70-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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103
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Geniole SN, Bird BM, McVittie JS, Purcell RB, Archer J, Carré JM. Is testosterone linked to human aggression? A meta-analytic examination of the relationship between baseline, dynamic, and manipulated testosterone on human aggression. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104644. [PMID: 31785281 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone is often considered a critical regulator of aggressive behaviour. There is castration/replacement evidence that testosterone indeed drives aggression in some species, but causal evidence in humans is generally lacking and/or-for the few studies that have pharmacologically manipulated testosterone concentrations-inconsistent. More often researchers have examined differences in baseline testosterone concentrations between groups known to differ in aggressiveness (e.g., violent vs non-violent criminals) or within a given sample using a correlational approach. Nevertheless, testosterone is not static but instead fluctuates in response to cues of challenge in the environment, and these challenge-induced fluctuations may more strongly regulate situation-specific aggressive behaviour. Here, we quantitatively summarize literature from all three approaches (baseline, change, and manipulation), providing the most comprehensive meta-analysis of these testosterone-aggression associations/effects in humans to date. Baseline testosterone shared a weak but significant association with aggression (r = 0.054, 95% CIs [0.028, 0.080]), an effect that was stronger and significant in men (r = 0.071, 95% CIs [0.041, 0.101]), but not women (r = 0.002, 95% CIs [-0.041, 0.044]). Changes in T were positively correlated with aggression (r = 0.108, 95% CIs [0.041, 0.174]), an effect that was also stronger and significant in men (r = 0.162, 95% CIs [0.076, 0.246]), but not women (r = 0.010, 95% CIs [-0.090, 0.109]). The causal effects of testosterone on human aggression were weaker yet, and not statistically significant (r = 0.046, 95% CIs [-0.015, 0.108]). We discuss the multiple moderators identified here (e.g., offender status of samples, sex) and elsewhere that may explain these generally weak effects. We also offer suggestions regarding methodology and sample sizes to best capture these associations in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- S N Geniole
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Dr. North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8, Canada; Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - B M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - J S McVittie
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Dr. North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada
| | - R B Purcell
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Dr. North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada
| | - J Archer
- School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire PR1 2HE, UK
| | - J M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Dr. North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada.
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104
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Trilla I, Drimalla H, Bajbouj M, Dziobek I. The Influence of Reward on Facial Mimicry: No Evidence for a Significant Effect of Oxytocin. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:88. [PMID: 32595461 PMCID: PMC7304412 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent findings suggest a role of oxytocin on the tendency to spontaneously mimic the emotional facial expressions of others. Oxytocin-related increases of facial mimicry, however, seem to be dependent on contextual factors. Given previous literature showing that people preferentially mimic emotional expressions of individuals associated with high (vs. low) rewards, we examined whether the reward value of the mimicked agent is one factor influencing the oxytocin effects on facial mimicry. To test this hypothesis, 60 male adults received 24 IU of either intranasal oxytocin or placebo in a double-blind, between-subject experiment. Next, the value of male neutral faces was manipulated using an associative learning task with monetary rewards. After the reward associations were learned, participants watched videos of the same faces displaying happy and angry expressions. Facial reactions to the emotional expressions were measured with electromyography. We found that participants judged as more pleasant the face identities associated with high reward values than with low reward values. However, happy expressions by low rewarding faces were more spontaneously mimicked than high rewarding faces. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find a significant direct effect of intranasal oxytocin on facial mimicry, nor on the reward-driven modulation of mimicry. Our results support the notion that mimicry is a complex process that depends on contextual factors, but failed to provide conclusive evidence of a role of oxytocin on the modulation of facial mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Trilla
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hanna Drimalla
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Digital Health Center, Hasso Plattner Institute, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Malek Bajbouj
- Center for Affective Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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105
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Seo M, Anderson G. Gut-Amygdala Interactions in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Developmental Roles via regulating Mitochondria, Exosomes, Immunity and microRNAs. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 25:4344-4356. [PMID: 31692435 DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666191105102545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have long been conceived as developmental disorder. A growing body of data highlights a role for alterations in the gut in the pathoetiology and/or pathophysiology of ASD. Recent work shows alterations in the gut microbiome to have a significant impact on amygdala development in infancy, suggesting that the alterations in the gut microbiome may act to modulate not only amygdala development but how the amygdala modulates the development of the frontal cortex and other brain regions. METHODS This article reviews wide bodies of data pertaining to the developmental roles of the maternal and foetal gut and immune systems in the regulation of offspring brain development. RESULTS A number of processes seem to be important in mediating how genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors interact in early development to regulate such gut-mediated changes in the amygdala, wider brain functioning and inter-area connectivity, including via regulation of microRNA (miR)-451, 14-3-3 proteins, cytochrome P450 (CYP)1B1 and the melatonergic pathways. As well as a decrease in the activity of monoamine oxidase, heightened levels of in miR-451 and CYP1B1, coupled to decreased 14-3-3 act to inhibit the synthesis of N-acetylserotonin and melatonin, contributing to the hyperserotonemia that is often evident in ASD, with consequences for mitochondria functioning and the content of released exosomes. These same factors are likely to play a role in regulating placental changes that underpin the association of ASD with preeclampsia and other perinatal risk factors, including exposure to heavy metals and air pollutants. Such alterations in placental and gut processes act to change the amygdala-driven biological underpinnings of affect-cognitive and affect-sensory interactions in the brain. CONCLUSION Such a perspective readily incorporates previously disparate bodies of data in ASD, including the role of the mu-opioid receptor, dopamine signaling and dopamine receptors, as well as the changes occurring to oxytocin and taurine levels. This has a number of treatment implications, the most readily applicable being the utilization of sodium butyrate and melatonin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moonsang Seo
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - George Anderson
- CRC Scotland & London, Eccleston Square, London, United Kingdom
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106
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Declerck CH, Boone C, Pauwels L, Vogt B, Fehr E. A registered replication study on oxytocin and trust. Nat Hum Behav 2020; 4:646-655. [PMID: 32514040 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-0878-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In an influential paper, Kosfeld et al. (2005) showed that intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT) increases the transfers made by investors in the trust game-suggesting that OT increases trust in strangers. Subsequent studies investigating the role of OT in the trust game found inconclusive effects on the trusting behaviour of investors but these studies deviated from the Kosfeld et al. study in an important way-they did not implement minimal social contact (MSC) between the investors and the trustees in the trust game. Here, we performed a large double-blind and placebo-controlled replication study of the effects of OT on trusting behaviour that yields a power of more than 95% and implements an MSC condition as well as a no-social-contact (NoC) condition. We find no effect of OT on trusting behaviour in the MSC condition. Exploratory post hoc analyses suggest that OT may increase trust in individuals with a low disposition to trust in the NoC condition, but this finding requires confirmation in future research. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 19 October 2018. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11980368.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn H Declerck
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Christophe Boone
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Loren Pauwels
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bodo Vogt
- Chair in Empirical Economics and Health Economics, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ernst Fehr
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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107
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Investigating resting brain perfusion abnormalities and disease target-engagement by intranasal oxytocin in women with bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder and healthy controls. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:180. [PMID: 32513936 PMCID: PMC7280271 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00871-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in the treatment of bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder (BN/BED) have been marred by our limited understanding of the underpinning neurobiology. Here we measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) to map resting perfusion abnormalities in women with BN/BED compared with healthy controls and investigate whether intranasal oxytocin (OT), proposed as a potential treatment, can restore perfusion in disorder-related brain circuits. Twenty-four women with BN/BED and 23 healthy women participated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study. We used arterial spin labelling MRI to measure rCBF and the effects of an acute dose of intranasal OT (40 IU) or placebo over 18-26 min post dosing, as we have previously shown robust OT-induced changes in resting rCBF in men in a similar time-window (15-36 min post dosing). We tested for effects of treatment, diagnosis and their interaction on extracted rCBF values in anatomical regions-of-interest previously implicated in BN/BED by other neuroimaging modalities, and conducted exploratory whole-brain analyses to investigate previously unidentified brain regions. We demonstrated that women with BN/BED presented increased resting rCBF in the medial prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices, anterior cingulate gyrus, posterior insula and middle/inferior temporal gyri bilaterally. Hyperperfusion in these areas specifically correlated with eating symptoms severity in patients. Our data did not support a normalizing effect of intranasal OT on perfusion abnormalities in these patients, at least for the specific dose (40 IU) and post-dosing interval (18-26 min) examined. Our findings enhance our understanding of resting brain abnormalities in BN/BED and identify resting rCBF as a non-invasive potential biomarker for disease-related changes and treatment monitoring. They also highlight the need for a comprehensive investigation of intranasal OT pharmacodynamics in women before we can fully ascertain its therapeutic value in disorders affecting predominantly this gender, such as BN/BED.
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108
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Sharma SR, Gonda X, Dome P, Tarazi FI. What's Love Got to do with it: Role of oxytocin in trauma, attachment and resilience. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 214:107602. [PMID: 32512017 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a neurohypophysial hormone and neuropeptide produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. It has multiple physiological roles including stimulation of parturition and lactation, and promotion of pro-adaptive social behaviors necessary for mammalian survival. OT interacts with one receptor subtype: the OT receptor (OTR) which, upon stimulation, triggers different intracellular signal transduction cascades to mediate its physiological actions. Preclinical studies show that OT regulates social behaviors such as pair bonding, recognition and social interaction. It also coordinates the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone. Further evidence suggests that OT plays an important role in regulating caloric intake and metabolism, and in maintaining electrolyte and cardiovascular homeostasis. OT is also involved in attenuating the neurophysiological and neurochemical effects of trauma on the brain and body by facilitating both physical attachment such as wound healing, and psychological/social attachment, thereby increasing resilience to subsequent traumatic events. Clinical trials have reported that intranasal administration of OT provides therapeutic benefits for patients diagnosed with traumatic stress-related diseases such as major depressive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. OT's therapeutic benefits may result from context-dependent interactions with key neural pathways (social, cognitive, and reward), neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and endogenous opioids), and biomarkers (adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), that lead to a decrease in stress -associated behaviors, and facilitate post-traumatic growth, ultimately leading to increased resilience, through improved social cohesion and attachment. OT induced-augmentation of physical and cognitive resilience may play a significant role in both the prevention of, and improved clinical outcomes for, traumatic stress-related disorders following either acute or enduring traumatic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samata R Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Xenia Gonda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; MTA-SE Neurochemistry and Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; NAP-2-SE New Antidepressant Target Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Laboratory of Suicide Prevention and Research, National Institute for Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Peter Dome
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Laboratory of Suicide Prevention and Research, National Institute for Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Frank I Tarazi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Program, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
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109
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Sabino ADV, Chagas MHN, Osório FL. Acute effects of oxytocin in music performance anxiety: a crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1757-1767. [PMID: 32123973 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05493-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Individuals with music performance anxiety (MPA) present physical, behavioral, and cognitive manifestations of anxiety, in addition to information processing deficits, especially in facial emotion recognition (FER). OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) on FER in a sample of musicians with high and low MPA (primary outcome), as well as indicators of mood/anxiety and self-assessed performance (secondary outcomes). METHODS Crossover, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 43 male musicians with different levels of MPA. Participants completed a static facial emotion recognition task and self-rated mood and performance scales. Data were analyzed using ANOVA 2 × 0 for crossover trials and the Omnibus test (measure of separability between intervention and carryover effects). RESULTS Only musicians with high MPA treated with oxytocin had a higher accuracy in the recognition of happiness (p < 0.03; d > 0.72). No effects of oxytocin were found on mood indicators or on self-perceived performance, regardless of MPA level. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate possible benefits of the acute treatment with oxytocin in MPA, which may improve the management of this common and disabling condition that affects professional musicians. The appropriate perception of positive feedback may increase confidence and feelings of social acceptance, reducing symptoms associated with the condition. The lack of effects on mood/anxiety and cognition may be explained by the context-dependent characteristic of the effects of oxytocin, since the experiment did not represent an actual situation of social threat. TRIAL REGISTRATION Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos): No. RBR-9cph2q.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alini D V Sabino
- Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo University, Avenida dos Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14048-900, Brazil
| | - Marcos Hortes N Chagas
- Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Flávia L Osório
- Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo University, Avenida dos Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14048-900, Brazil. .,National Institute for Science and Technology (INCT-TM, CNPq), Brasília, Brazil.
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110
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Lieberz J, Scheele D, Spengler FB, Matheisen T, Schneider L, Stoffel-Wagner B, Kinfe TM, Hurlemann R. Kinetics of oxytocin effects on amygdala and striatal reactivity vary between women and men. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1134-1140. [PMID: 31785587 PMCID: PMC7235226 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0582-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that intranasal oxytocin (OXT; 24 IU) reduces amygdala responses to fear-related stimuli in men, while exerting inverse effects in women. However, OXT enhances activity of the brain reward system in both sexes. Importantly, a crucial and still open question is whether there are sex-specific dose-response relationships for the amygdala and striatal regions. To address this question, a total of 90 healthy women participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study and the results were compared with our previous findings from men. Participants were randomly assigned to three doses of OXT (6 IU, 12 IU, and 24 IU) and completed an emotional face recognition task including fearful and happy faces of varying emotional intensities. Across doses, OXT enhanced amygdala reactivity to low fearful faces compared to placebo and increased responses to happy faces in the dorsal striatum in women. While treatment effects on amygdala reactivity were evident at each given dose, the OXT effect on striatal responses to social stimuli was more pronounced with higher doses, but this dose-dependent effect did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Importantly, OXT effects on amygdala and striatal activation significantly differed between sexes and striatal baseline sexual-dimorphic response patterns were diminished after administration of OXT. Our findings suggest that OXT increases the salience of social signals by strengthening the sensitivity for these signals in the amygdala and in the striatum in women, while OXT may primarily induce anxiolysis by reducing amygdala responses in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Lieberz
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Franny B. Spengler
- grid.5963.9Institute for Psychology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tatjana Matheisen
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Lìa Schneider
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas M. Kinfe
- 0000 0001 2107 3311grid.5330.5Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- 0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany ,0000 0001 2240 3300grid.10388.32Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany ,0000 0001 1009 3608grid.5560.6Department of Psychiatry, University of Oldenburg Medical Campus, 26160 Bad Zwischenahn, Germany
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111
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Common and dissociable effects of oxytocin and lorazepam on the neurocircuitry of fear. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:11781-11787. [PMID: 32385158 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920147117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) represent the gold standard of anxiolytic pharmacotherapy; however, their clinical benefit is limited by side effects and addictive potential. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop novel and safe anxiolytics. The peptide hormone oxytocin (OXT) exhibits anxiolytic-like properties in animals and humans, but whether OXT and BZDs share similar effects on the neural circuitry of fear is unclear. Therefore, the rationale of this ultra-high-field functional MRI (fMRI) study was to test OXT against the clinical comparator lorazepam (LZP) with regard to their neuromodulatory effects on local and network responses to fear-related stimuli. One hundred twenty-eight healthy male participants volunteered in this randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-group study. Before scanning using an emotional face-matching paradigm, participants were randomly administered a single dose of OXT (24 IU), LZP (1 mg), or placebo. On the behavioral level, LZP, but not OXT, caused mild sedation, as evidenced by a 19% increase in reaction times. On the neural level, both OXT and LZP inhibited responses to fearful faces vs. neutral faces within the centromedial amygdala (cmA). In contrast, they had different effects on intra-amygdalar connectivity; OXT strengthened the coupling between the cmA and basolateral amygdala, whereas LZP increased the interplay between the cmA and superficial amygdala. Furthermore, OXT, but not LZP, enhanced the coupling between the cmA and the precuneus and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. These data implicate inhibition of the cmA as a common denominator of anxiolytic action, with only OXT inducing large-scale connectivity changes of potential therapeutic relevance.
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112
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An Allostatic Theory of Oxytocin. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:515-528. [PMID: 32360118 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin has garnered considerable interest for its role in social behavior, as well as for the potential of intranasal administration to treat social difficulties. However, current theoretical models for the role of oxytocin in social behavior pay little consideration to its evolutionary and developmental history. This article aims to broaden our understanding of the role of oxytocin in social behavior by adopting an ethological approach through the lens of Nikolaas Tinbergen's 'four questions' - how does oxytocin work; how does the role of oxytocin change during development; how does oxytocin enhance survival; and how did the oxytocin system evolve? We argue that oxytocin is most accurately described as an allostatic hormone that modulates both social and non-social behavior by maintaining stability through changing environments.
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113
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Wagner BK, Relling AE, Kieffer JD, Moraes LE, Parker AJ. Short communication: pharmacokinetics of oxytocin administered intranasally to beef cattle. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2020; 71:106387. [PMID: 31830691 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2019.106387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Providing the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin intranasally increased concentrations in plasma and cerebral spinal fluid in humans and primates, respectively. This is of interest because of the documented anxiolytic effects of oxytocin observed in humans and rodents. To date, a transnasal approach of hormone administration has not been investigated in beef cattle. Defining the pharmacokinetics of intranasal oxytocin in cattle is necessary for determining optimum sampling and dosing timelines for future investigations. Five, weaned Bos taurus steers were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design. Treatments included 1) 0.33 IU oxytocin/kg BW (A, n = 5), 2) 0.66 IU oxytocin/kg BW (B, n = 5), and 3) 1.32 IU oxytocin/kg BW (C, n = 5). Steers were acclimated to handling and restraint procedures for 4 wk leading up to the start of the experiment. Frequent blood collection occurred every 2 min for the first 30 min and every 5 min for the second 30 min, relative to administration of intranasal treatment. No treatment by time interaction was detected; however, there was an effect of time (P < 0.001) and treatment (P = 0.002) on oxytocin concentrations over time. Pharmacokinetic parameters, determined by PKSolver excel add-in, demonstrated an average maximum concentration (CMAX) of 63.3 pg/mL at 3.5 min after intranasal dose administration. An average half-life (T1/2) of 12.1 min after intranasal administration was determined. Pharmacokinetic parameters to a single bolus were not dose-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- B K Wagner
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 46691, USA
| | - A E Relling
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 46691, USA
| | - J D Kieffer
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - L E Moraes
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - A J Parker
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 46691, USA.
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114
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Skvortsova A, Veldhuijzen DS, de Rover M, Pacheco-Lopez G, Bakermans-Kranenburg M, van IJzendoorn M, Chavannes NH, van Middendorp H, Evers AWM. Effects of oxytocin administration and conditioned oxytocin on brain activity: An fMRI study. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229692. [PMID: 32191722 PMCID: PMC7082015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that secretion of several hormones can be classically conditioned, however, the underlying brain responses of such conditioning have never been investigated before. In this study we aimed to investigate how oxytocin administration and classically conditioned oxytocin influence brain responses. In total, 88 females were allocated to one of three groups: oxytocin administration, conditioned oxytocin, or placebo, and underwent an experiment consisting of three acquisition and three evocation days. Participants in the conditioned group received 24 IU of oxytocin together with a conditioned stimulus (CS) during three acquisition days and placebo with the CS on three evocation days. The oxytocin administration group received 24 IU of oxytocin and the placebo group received placebo during all days. On the last evocation day, fMRI scanning was performed for all participants during three tasks previously shown to be affected by oxytocin: presentation of emotional faces, crying baby sounds and heat pain. Region of interest analysis revealed that there was significantly lower activation in the right amygdala and in two clusters in the left superior temporal gyrus in the oxytocin administration group compared to the placebo group in response to observing fearful faces. The activation in the conditioned oxytocin group was in between the other two groups for these clusters but did not significantly differ from either group. No group differences were found in the other tasks. Preliminary evidence was found for brain activation of a conditioned oxytocin response; however, despite this trend in the expected direction, the conditioned group did not significantly differ from other groups. Future research should, therefore, investigate the optimal timing of conditioned endocrine responses and study whether the findings generalize to other hormones as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandrina Skvortsova
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dieuwke S. Veldhuijzen
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mischa de Rover
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gustavo Pacheco-Lopez
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Health Sciences, Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Lerma, Edo. Mex., Mexico
| | - Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom
| | - Niels H. Chavannes
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Henriët van Middendorp
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Andrea W. M. Evers
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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115
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Martins DA, Mazibuko N, Zelaya F, Vasilakopoulou S, Loveridge J, Oates A, Maltezos S, Mehta M, Wastling S, Howard M, McAlonan G, Murphy D, Williams SCR, Fotopoulou A, Schuschnig U, Paloyelis Y. Effects of route of administration on oxytocin-induced changes in regional cerebral blood flow in humans. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1160. [PMID: 32127545 PMCID: PMC7054359 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14845-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Could nose-to-brain pathways mediate the effects of peptides such as oxytocin (OT) on brain physiology when delivered intranasally? We address this question by contrasting two methods of intranasal administration (a standard nasal spray, and a nebulizer expected to improve OT deposition in nasal areas putatively involved in direct nose-to-brain transport) to intravenous administration in terms of effects on regional cerebral blood flow during two hours post-dosing. We demonstrate that OT-induced decreases in amygdala perfusion, a key hub of the OT central circuitry, are explained entirely by OT increases in systemic circulation following both intranasal and intravenous OT administration. Yet we also provide robust evidence confirming the validity of the intranasal route to target specific brain regions. Our work has important translational implications and demonstrates the need to carefully consider the method of administration in our efforts to engage specific central oxytocinergic targets for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Martins
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - N Mazibuko
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - F Zelaya
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S Vasilakopoulou
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - J Loveridge
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A Oates
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - S Maltezos
- Adult Autism and ADHD Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - M Mehta
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S Wastling
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - M Howard
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - G McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science (SM), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - D Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science (SM), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S C R Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A Fotopoulou
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Y Paloyelis
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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116
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Shi Y, Liu J, Hu Z, Gao S. Opposing sex-dependent effects of oxytocin on the perception of gaze direction. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:869-876. [PMID: 31844937 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05423-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gaze direction is an important cue of the eye region. Previous studies have revealed that oxytocin (OXT) increases orienting to the eye region of face. However, little has been known about the effect of OXT in men and women on the perception of gaze direction particularly when associated with different emotions. OBJECTIVES We investigated how oxytocin would affect gaze direction judgments for threatening, angry, and neutral facial expressions and whether this effect would be modulated by observers' sex. METHODS We used the cone of direct gaze (CoDG) task. Participants were required to judge the gaze direction of face between directed and averted gaze. RESULTS Results showed opposing sex-dependent effects of OXT such that OXT, as compared with placebo, tended to decrease the CoDG in men but increase it in women. The CoDG was marginally wider in men than in women in the placebo condition, and however, this difference was abolished following OXT treatment. We also found that the perception of gaze direction varied as a function of emotional expression such that the CoDG for angry and neutral faces was wider than that for fearful faces and the CoDG for angry faces was marginally wider than that for neutral ones. However, there was no significant interaction between treatment and facial expression. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide the first evidence for sex-dependent effects of OXT on gaze direction perception, suggesting that OXT attenuates the self-referential judgment of gaze directions of others in men and enhances it in women despite differentiated emotions of faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahuan Shi
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610068, People's Republic of China.,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinmeng Liu
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610068, People's Republic of China.,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhonghua Hu
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610068, People's Republic of China. .,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shan Gao
- School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, People's Republic of China. .,The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
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117
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Skvortsova A, Veldhuijzen DS, van Middendorp H, Colloca L, Evers AWM. Effects of Oxytocin on Placebo and Nocebo Effects in a Pain Conditioning Paradigm: A Randomized Controlled Trial. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2020; 21:430-439. [PMID: 31494273 PMCID: PMC7408480 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2019.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin has been shown to increase trust, decrease anxiety, and affect learning as has been observed in conditioning paradigms. Trust, anxiety, and learning are important factors that influence placebo effects. In this study, we investigated whether oxytocin can increase placebo analgesia, decrease nocebo hyperalgesia, and influence extinction processes of both. Eighty male volunteers were assigned to a 40 IU of oxytocin nasal spray group, or to a placebo control group. Placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia were induced by a conditioning procedure in combination with verbal suggestions. The results demonstrate that the conditioning procedure successfully elicited significant placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia responses (P < .001). Furthermore, extinction was observed (P < .001), although placebo and nocebo responses did not return to baseline and remained significant. Oxytocin did not influence placebo analgesia or nocebo hyperalgesia and had no effect on extinction. This study provides support against the placebo-boosting effects of oxytocin and was the first one to demonstrate that it also did not influence nocebo effects or extinction processes, however, these results pertain to only a male sample. As managing placebo and nocebo effects has widespread clinical implications, further research should investigate other neurobiological or behavioral pathways to boost placebo and decrease nocebo effects. PERSPECTIVE: The present study demonstrated that placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia can be successfully induced by conditioning and verbal suggestions. We could not confirm the hypothesis that oxytocin affects either of these phenomena. Other pharmacological agents and behavioral manipulations for increasing placebo and decreasing nocebo effects should be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandrina Skvortsova
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Dieuwke S Veldhuijzen
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Henriët van Middendorp
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Luana Colloca
- Department of Pain Translational Symptoms Science, School of Nursing and Department of Anaesthesiology, Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Andrea W M Evers
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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118
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Schiller B, Domes G, Heinrichs M. Oxytocin changes behavior and spatio-temporal brain dynamics underlying inter-group conflict in humans. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 31:119-130. [PMID: 31883637 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.12.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Inter-group conflicts drive human discrimination, mass migration, and violence, but their psychobiological mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether the neuropeptide oxytocin modulates behavior and spatio-temporal brain dynamics in naturalistic inter-group conflict. Eighty-six male members of natural rival social groups received either oxytocin or placebo intranasally. In a decision-making paradigm involving real monetary stakes, participants could sacrifice their own resources to modulate the monetary gains and losses of in- and out-group members. Oxytocin eliminated the reduction in out-group gains - particularly in individuals with low emotional empathy, whereas those given placebo exhibited this negative social behavior. Our spatio-temporal analysis of event-related potentials elicited by outcome valuation revealed that oxytocin replaced a neurophysiological process associated with the negative valuation of out-group gains via a process associated with positive valuation between 200-500ms after outcome presentation. Oxytocin thus seems to modulate inter-group behavior in humans via a specific alteration of valuation-related brain dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Schiller
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, D-54290 Trier, Germany
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
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119
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Sindermann C, Luo R, Becker B, Kendrick KM, Montag C. The role of oxytocin on self-serving lying. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01518. [PMID: 31930678 PMCID: PMC7010580 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The effects of intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin on social cognition and behavior are highly specific. Potentially situational and personal variables influence these effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of oxytocin administration on self-serving lying, including situational effects. METHODS A total of 161 adult males participated in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled between-subject intranasal oxytocin administration (24 international units) study. Self-serving lying was assessed using three subsequent rounds of the die-in-a-cup paradigm, in which different degrees of lying can be implemented by the participants that can be determined on group level. RESULTS Oxytocin administration seemed to promote self-serving lying, particularly in the third (last) round and only to a certain degree (not to the maximum possible). CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that oxytocin administration can promote self-serving lying when given repeated opportunities to lie. Moreover, exploratory results presented in the Supplementary Material indicate that the sensitivity to the effects of intranasal oxytocin in this domain might be moderated by individual differences in the oxytocin receptor gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Sindermann
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ruixue Luo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 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, 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, China
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.,The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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120
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Oxytocin amplifies sex differences in human mate choice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 112:104483. [PMID: 31757429 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Infidelity is the major cause of breakups and individuals with a history of infidelity are more likely to repeat it, but may also present a greater opportunity for short-term sexual relationships. Here in a pre-registered, double-blind study involving 160 subjects we report that while both sexes valued faithful individuals most for short-term and long-term relationships, both single men and those in a relationship were more interested in having short-term relationships with previously unfaithful individuals than women. Oxytocin administration resulted in men rating the faces of unfaithful women as more attractive and likeable but in women rating those of unfaithful men as less attractive and also finding them less memorable. Oxytocin also increased single men's interest in having short-term relationships with previously unfaithful women whereas it increased single women's interest in having long-term relationships with faithful men. Thus, oxytocin release during courtship may first act to amplify sex-dependent priorities in attraction and mate choice before subsequently promoting romantic bonds.
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121
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Zhao W, Luo R, Sindermann C, Li J, Wei Z, Zhang Y, Liu C, Le J, Quintana DS, Montag C, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin modulation of self-referential processing is partly replicable and sensitive to oxytocin receptor genotype. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 96:109734. [PMID: 31415827 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Intranasal oxytocin (OXT) has been associated with effects on diverse social-emotional domains in humans, however progress towards a therapeutic application of OXT in disorders with social-emotion impairments is currently hampered by poor replicability. Limited statistical power and individual differences in biological factors, such as oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genetics, may have contributed to these variable findings. To this end, employing a validated oxytocin-sensitive trait judgment paradigm, we present a pharmaco-genetic study aiming at (1) replicating previous findings suggesting that intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) reduces the self-referential bias in a large sample of n = 170 male subjects, (2) determining whether variations in common receptor polymorphisms (rs237887, rs2268491, rs2254298, rs53576, rs2268498) influence sensitivity to oxytocin's behavioral effects. We confirmed that in the whole sample oxytocin influenced self-other distinction in terms of reduced decision time. However, oxytocin only influenced decision time in rs53576 G carriers, whereas effects on subsequent memory performance were only found in rs2268498 TT homozygotes. In summary, the current study partially replicates our previous findings showing that oxytocin reduces the self-referential bias and suggests that sensitivity to its effects in this domain are receptor genotype dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 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 611731, China
| | - Cornelia Sindermann
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 8/1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jialin Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Zhenyu Wei
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Jiao Le
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - 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
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 8/1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 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 611731, China.
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122
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Zhang J, Zhou C, Yu R. Oxytocin amplifies the influence of good intentions on social judgments. Horm Behav 2020; 117:104589. [PMID: 31593697 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown that the evolutionarily conserved neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) promotes various prosocial behaviors, yet there are few studies of the effect of OT on social judgments, especially on judgments when the actor's intention and the final outcome are incongruent. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment, participants were asked to play the role of the recipient in a dictator game and to make social judgments about the dictator after intranasal OT administration. To isolate the outcome and the intention of the dictator's allocation, we developed a novel social judgment task in which recipients were told that 50% of the dictators' proposals would be reversed. The results showed that the effect of OT on social judgment was modulated by intention: OT increased goodness ratings only towards dictators with hyperfair intention. Our findings support the affiliative-motivation theory which states that OT enhances the affiliative motivation and recognition of positive-valence social stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Zhang
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application and Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengyan Zhou
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application and Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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123
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Wagner BK, Relling AE, Kieffer JD, Parker AJ. Intranasal oxytocin treatment does not attenuate the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in beef heifers subjected to isolation stress or restraint and isolation stress. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2020; 70:106379. [PMID: 31479924 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the physiological, psychological, and behavioral manifestations of stress have been observed in association with increases in circulating oxytocin (OXT). Providing OXT intranasally has been shown to attenuate stressor-induced hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation in humans and rodents; however, anxiolytic effects may be context and species specific. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of intranasal OXT supplementation on stressor-induced activation of the HPA axis in beef cattle. We hypothesized that OXT would attenuate activation of the HPA axis, ultimately decreasing plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Twenty-eight Bos taurus heifers were blocked by bodyweight and randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups, in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: (1) saline, isolated, standing, and unrestrained (S-isolation stress [IS], 0.015 mL/kg BW 0.9% isotonic saline, n = 7); (2) saline, isolated, and restrained (S-restraint and isolation stress [RIS]; 0.015 mL/kg BW 0.9% isotonic saline; n = 7); (3) OXT, IS (OXT-IS, 0.3 IU/kg BW oxytocin; n = 7); and (4) OXT and RIS (OXT-RIS, 0.3 IU/kg BW oxytocin; n = 7). Oxytocin and saline were administered intranasally. Intranasal treatments were given followed by a waiting time of 30 min when each of the stress treatments was applied for 2 h. Blood samples were collected via jugular catheters directly after stressor application and every 10 min thereafter, for 2 h. Cortisol concentrations increased over time in animals exposed to RIS (P < 0.01) and decreased over time in animals exposed to IS (P < 0.01). Concentrations of ACTH decreased over time for the IS-treated heifers but remained elevated for the RIS-treated heifers (P < 0.01). Under the conditions of the present study, OXT treatment did not affect measured indicators of HPA axis activation. A treatment × time interaction (P < 0.01) was detected for OXT, such that OXT heifers exhibited greater initial OXT concentrations followed by a decline; saline-treated heifers had consistently stable oxytocin concentrations. The RIS-treated heifers increased their glucose (P < 0.01) and lactate (P < 0.01) concentrations throughout the application of the stressors compared with the IS-treated heifers. Overall, restraint stress increased cortisol and oxytocin in B taurus heifers compared with heifers subjected only to isolation. Finding a more intermediate stress model may better allow for detection of the effects of oxytocin on the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- B K Wagner
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 46691, USA
| | - A E Relling
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 46691, USA
| | - J D Kieffer
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - A J Parker
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 46691, USA.
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Effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on empathy and approach motivation in women with borderline personality disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:328. [PMID: 31801937 PMCID: PMC6892895 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0658-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by severe interpersonal dysfunction with problems in social cognition, empathy and social approach. Although the neuropeptide oxytocin is known to regulate complex social cognition and behavior in healthy individuals and clinical populations, there is still a lack of evidence for a potential beneficial effect of oxytocin administration on social cognition and social approach in BPD. Fifty-one women with BPD and 51 matched healthy controls were randomized to a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject experimental trial. We administered a single dose of 24 IU oxytocin or placebo intranasally prior to a standardized task measuring affective and cognitive empathy and approach motivation. All participants were free of hormonal contraception and tested in the mid-luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. In the placebo condition, patients with BPD showed reduced cognitive and affective empathy, and less approach behavior motivation than healthy controls. Intranasal oxytocin significantly increased affective empathy and approach motivation in both BPD patients and healthy controls compared to placebo. More importantly, oxytocin administration led to similar scores between BPD and healthy controls. These findings provide the first evidence for a beneficial effect of oxytocin on deficits in affective empathy and approach motivation of BPD. Our results indicate a beneficial effect of a single dose of oxytocin on affective empathy and approach motivation in women with BPD adapting their level of social functioning to healthy controls. Future clinical trials will need to investigate the long-term effects and effectiveness of oxytocin as an add-on treatment for social impairments in BPD.
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125
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Koch SBJ, van Zuiden M, Nawijn L, Frijling JL, Veltman DJ, Olff M. Effects of intranasal oxytocin on distraction as emotion regulation strategy in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:266-277. [PMID: 30554861 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by difficulty down-regulating emotional responses towards trauma-reminders. The neuropeptide oxytocin may enhance treatment response in PTSD, by dampening excessive fear and improving fear regulation. However, oxytocin effects on (neural correlates of) cognitive emotion regulation abilities have never been investigated in PTSD patients. Therefore, we investigated behavioral and neural effects of intranasal oxytocin administration (40IU) on distraction as emotion regulation strategy in male and female police officers with and without PTSD (n = 76), using a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over fMRI study. The distraction condition consisted of a working memory task while negative affective pictures were presented. Under placebo, male PTSD patients showed decreased right striatal activity during distraction compared to male trauma-exposed controls, which was unaffected by oxytocin. After oxytocin administration, left thalamus activity during distraction was enhanced in all participants, independent of PTSD status or sex. Although left thalamus activity during distraction did not differ between PTSD patients and controls under placebo, it was negatively correlated with error rates within PTSD patients. Furthermore, oxytocin administration increased functional connectivity between the left thalamus and amygdala in PTSD patients and male trauma-exposed controls. Upregulation of thalamus activity during distraction by oxytocin may enhance cognitive emotion regulation abilities during psychotherapy in PTSD, although this should still be investigated in a clinical setting. Our findings open an important research avenue into oxytocin effects on cognitive emotion regulation in PTSD and other psychiatric disorders characterized by deficient emotion regulation abilities. Registered in the Netherlands Trial Registry, registration number: NTR3516.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia B J Koch
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Mirjam van Zuiden
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Nawijn
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, VU University, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jessie L Frijling
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, VU University, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Miranda Olff
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arq Psychotrauma Expert Center, Diemen, The Netherlands
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126
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Leu 8 and Pro 8 oxytocin agonism differs across human, macaque, and marmoset vasopressin 1a receptors. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15480. [PMID: 31664130 PMCID: PMC6820730 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52024-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) is an important neuromodulator of social behaviors via activation of both oxytocin receptors (OXTR) and vasopressin (AVP) 1a receptors (AVPR1a). Marmosets are neotropical primates with a modified OXT ligand (Pro8-OXT), and this ligand shows significant coevolution with traits including social monogamy and litter size. Pro8-OXT produces more potent and efficacious responses at primate OXTR and stronger behavioral effects than the consensus mammalian OXT ligand (Leu8-OXT). Here, we tested whether OXT/AVP ligands show differential levels of crosstalk at primate AVPR1a. We measured binding affinities and Ca2+ signaling responses of AVP, Pro8-OXT and Leu8-OXT at human, macaque, and marmoset AVPR1a. We found that AVP binds with higher affinity than OXT across AVPR1a, and marmoset AVPR1a show a 10-fold lower OXT binding affinity compared to human and macaque AVPR1a. Both Leu8-OXT and Pro8-OXT produce a less efficacious response than AVP at human AVPR1a and higher efficacious response than AVP at marmoset AVPR1a. These data suggest that OXT might partially antagonize endogenous human AVPR1a signaling and enhance marmoset AVPR1a signaling. These findings aid in further understanding inconsistencies observed following systemic intranasal administration of OXT and provide important insights into taxon-specific differences in nonapeptide ligand/receptor coevolution and behavior.
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127
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Bradley ER, Seitz A, Niles AN, Rankin KP, Mathalon DH, O'Donovan A, Woolley JD. Oxytocin increases eye gaze in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2019; 212:177-185. [PMID: 31416746 PMCID: PMC6791758 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.07.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal eye gaze is common in schizophrenia and linked to functional impairment. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin modulates visual attention to social stimuli, but its effects on eye gaze in schizophrenia are unknown. We examined visual scanning of faces in men with schizophrenia and neurotypical controls to quantify oxytocin effects on eye gaze. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 33 men with schizophrenia and 39 matched controls received one dose of intranasal oxytocin (40 IU) and placebo on separate testing days. Participants viewed 20 color photographs of faces while their gaze patterns were recorded. We tested for differences in fixation time on the eyes between patients and controls as well as oxytocin effects using linear mixed-effects models. We also tested whether attachment style, symptom severity, and anti-dopaminergic medication dosage moderated oxytocin effects. In the placebo condition, patients showed reduced fixation time on the eyes compared to controls. Oxytocin was associated with an increase in fixation time among patients, but a decrease among controls. Higher attachment anxiety and greater symptom severity predicted increased fixation time on the eyes on oxytocin versus placebo. Anti-dopaminergic medication dosage and attachment avoidance did not impact response to oxytocin. Consistent with findings that oxytocin optimizes processing of social stimuli, intranasal oxytocin enhanced eye gaze in men with schizophrenia. Further work is needed to determine whether changes in eye gaze impact social cognition and functional outcomes. Both attachment anxiety and symptom severity predicted oxytocin response, highlighting the importance of examining potential moderators of oxytocin effects in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen R Bradley
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
| | - Alison Seitz
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Andrea N Niles
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Daniel H Mathalon
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Aoife O'Donovan
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Joshua D Woolley
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America; San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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128
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Oxytocin reduces top-down control of attention by increasing bottom-up attention allocation to social but not non-social stimuli - A randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 108:62-69. [PMID: 31229634 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) may facilitate attention to social stimuli by influencing early stage bottom-up processing although findings in relation to different emotional expressions are inconsistent and its influence on top-down cognitive processing mechanisms unclear. In the current double-blind placebo (PLC) controlled between-subject design study we therefore recruited 71 male subjects (OXT = 34, PLC = 37) to investigate the effects of intranasal OXT (24IU) on both bottom-up attention allocation and top-down attention inhibition using a prosaccade and antisaccade paradigm incorporating social (neutral, happy, fearful, sad, angry faces) and non-social (oval shape) visual stimuli with concurrent eye movement acquisition. Results revealed a marginal significant interaction effect between treatment, condition and task (p = 0.054), with Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc tests indicating that OXT specifically increased antisaccade errors for social stimuli (ps < 0.04, effect sizes 0.46-0.88), but not non-social stimuli. Antisaccades are under volitional control and therefore this may indicate that OXT treatment reduced top-down inhibition. However, the overall findings are consistent with OXT acting to reduce top-down control of attention as a result of increasing bottom-up early attentional processing of social, but not non-social, stimuli in situations where the two systems are in potential conflict. Marked deficits in bottom-up attention allocation to social stimuli have been reported in autism spectrum disorder, within this context OXT may have the potential to increase early attention allocation towards social cues.
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129
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Schiller B, Koenig T, Heinrichs M. Oxytocin modulates the temporal dynamics of resting EEG networks. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13418. [PMID: 31558733 PMCID: PMC6763457 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49636-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a key modulator of social interaction, but we possess little knowledge of its underlying effects on neuropsychological processes. We used a spatio-temporal EEG microstates analysis to reveal oxytocin's effects on the temporal dynamics of intrinsically generated activity in neural networks. Given oxytocin's known anxiolytic effects, we hypothesized that it increases the temporal stability of the four archetypal EEG resting networks. Eighty-six male participants had received oxytocin or placebo intranasally before we recorded their resting EEG. As hypothesized, oxytocin globally increased the average duration of the four archetypal resting networks and specifically decreased the occurrence and coverage of an autonomic processing-related network to benefit greater coverage of an attention-related network. Moreover, these neurophysiological changes were more pronounced in participants with high anxiety levels and strong subjectively experienced effects of the oxytocin administration. In sum, our study shows that oxytocin reduces rapid switching among neural resting networks by increasing their temporal stability. Specifically, it seems to reduce the brain's need for preparing the internally-oriented processing of autonomic information, thus enabling the externally-oriented processing of social information. Changes in the temporal dynamics of resting networks might underlie oxytocin's anxiolytic effects - potentially informing innovative psychobiological treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Schiller
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, DE-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, DE-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas Koenig
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, CH-3000, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, DE-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, DE-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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130
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Grace SA, Labuschagne I, Castle DJ, Rossell SL. Intranasal oxytocin alters amygdala-temporal resting-state functional connectivity in body dysmorphic disorder: A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 107:179-186. [PMID: 31146138 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The aetiology of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is poorly understood. Recent evidence from functional brain imaging studies suggests that BDD is associated with aberrant task-based functional connectivity and that intranasal oxytocin (OXT) may improve network connectivity in BDD patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intranasal OXT on amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in BDD. In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design, 19 BDD participants and 17 demographically matched healthy control participants received intranasal OXT (24 IU) or placebo prior to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The left and right amygdala were seeded as regions of interest, and temporal correlations between the amygdalae and all other voxels comprising cortical and subcortical grey matter were investigated. Compared to healthy controls, BDD patients showed greater baseline (placebo) rsFC between the left amygdala and two clusters within the left temporal lobe and one cluster within the superior frontal gyrus which was reversed following OXT administration. The control group also showed significantly greater rsFC between the left amygdala and anterior prefrontal cortex in the OXT session compared to placebo. Whilst preliminary, these findings suggest that BDD patients exhibit abnormal amygdala-temporal connectivity at rest, and OXT might have a role in changing this functional relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally A Grace
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia; School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Izelle Labuschagne
- School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - David J Castle
- Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia; Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
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131
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Davies C, Paloyelis Y, Rutigliano G, Cappucciati M, De Micheli A, Ramella-Cravaro V, Provenzani U, Antoniades M, Modinos G, Oliver D, Stahl D, Murguia S, Zelaya F, Allen P, Shergill S, Morrison P, Williams S, Taylor D, McGuire P, Fusar-Poli P. Oxytocin modulates hippocampal perfusion in people at clinical high risk for psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:1300-1309. [PMID: 30626906 PMCID: PMC6784972 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0311-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical and human studies suggest that hippocampal dysfunction is a key factor in the onset of psychosis. People at Clinical High Risk for psychosis (CHR-P) present with a clinical syndrome that can include social withdrawal and have a 20-35% risk of developing psychosis in the next 2 years. Recent research shows that resting hippocampal blood flow is altered in CHR-P individuals and predicts adverse clinical outcomes, such as non-remission/transition to frank psychosis. Previous work in healthy males indicates that a single dose of intranasal oxytocin has positive effects on social function and marked effects on resting hippocampal blood flow. The present study examined the effects of intranasal oxytocin on hippocampal blood flow in CHR-P individuals. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 30 CHR-P males were studied using pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labelling on 2 occasions, once after 40IU intranasal oxytocin and once after placebo. The effects of oxytocin on left hippocampal blood flow were examined in a region-of-interest analysis of data acquired at 22-28 and at 30-36 minutes post-intranasal administration. Relative to placebo, administration of oxytocin was associated with increased hippocampal blood flow at both time points (p = .0056; p = .034), although the effect at the second did not survive adjustment for the effect of global blood flow. These data indicate that oxytocin can modulate hippocampal function in CHR-P individuals and therefore merits further investigation as a candidate novel treatment for this group.
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Grants
- G0901868 Medical Research Council
- 22593 Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation)
- Dominic Oliver is supported by the UK Medical Research Council (MR/N013700/1) and is a King’s College London member of the MRC Doctoral Training Partnership in Biomedical Sciences.
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, UK
- DH | National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
- This work was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London (PFP, PM, DS); by a Brain & Behaviour Research Foundation NARSAD Award (grant number 22593 to PFP); and by the Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The funders had no influence on the design, collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, writing of the report and decision to submit this article for publication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Davies
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yannis Paloyelis
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Grazia Rutigliano
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marco Cappucciati
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrea De Micheli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Valentina Ramella-Cravaro
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Umberto Provenzani
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mathilde Antoniades
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gemma Modinos
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dominic Oliver
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Stahl
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Silvia Murguia
- Tower Hamlets Early Detection Service (THEDS), East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Fernando Zelaya
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Allen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Sukhi Shergill
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Morrison
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Steve Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David Taylor
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Outreach And Support in South London (OASIS) Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
- Outreach And Support in South London (OASIS) Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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132
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Davies C, Rutigliano G, De Micheli A, Stone JM, Ramella-Cravaro V, Provenzani U, Cappucciati M, Scutt E, Paloyelis Y, Oliver D, Murguia S, Zelaya F, Allen P, Shergill S, Morrison P, Williams S, Taylor D, Lythgoe DJ, McGuire P, Fusar-Poli P. Neurochemical effects of oxytocin in people at clinical high risk for psychosis. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:601-615. [PMID: 30928180 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Alterations in neurochemical metabolites are thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of psychosis onset. Oxytocin, a neuropeptide with prosocial and anxiolytic properties, modulates glutamate neurotransmission in preclinical models but its neurochemical effects in people at high risk for psychosis are unknown. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin on glutamate and other metabolites in people at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. 30 CHR-P males were studied on two occasions, once after 40IU intranasal oxytocin and once after placebo. The effects of oxytocin on the concentration of glutamate, glutamate+glutamine and other metabolites (choline, N-acetylaspartate, myo-inositol) scaled to creatine were examined in the left thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left hippocampus, starting approximately 75, 84 and 93 min post-dosing, respectively. Relative to placebo, administration of oxytocin was associated with an increase in choline levels in the ACC (p=.008, Cohen's d = 0.54). There were no other significant effects on metabolite concentrations (all p>.05). Our findings suggest that, at ∼75-99 min post-dosing, a single dose of intranasal oxytocin does not alter levels of neurochemical metabolites in the thalamus, ACC, or hippocampus in those at CHR-P, aside from potential effects on choline in the ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Davies
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - Grazia Rutigliano
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Andrea De Micheli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - James M Stone
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Valentina Ramella-Cravaro
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Umberto Provenzani
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Cappucciati
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Eleanor Scutt
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Yannis Paloyelis
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dominic Oliver
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Silvia Murguia
- Tower Hamlets Early Detection Service (THEDS), East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Fernando Zelaya
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Allen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Sukhi Shergill
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Morrison
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Steve Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David Taylor
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David J Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Outreach and Support in South London (OASIS) Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Outreach and Support in South London (OASIS) Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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133
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Herpertz SC, Schmitgen MM, Fuchs C, Roth C, Wolf RC, Bertsch K, Flor H, Grinevich V, Boll S. Oxytocin Effects on Pain Perception and Pain Anticipation. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2019; 20:1187-1198. [PMID: 31009765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate whether the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) modulates pain processing in humans. This study differentiates behavioral and neuronal OT effects on pain perception and pain anticipation by using a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm. Forty-six males received intranasally administered OT in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled group design. Although OT exerted no direct effect on perceived pain, OT was found to modulate the blood oxygen level-dependent response in the ventral striatum for painful versus warm unconditioned stimuli and to decrease activity in the anterior insula (IS) with repeated thermal pain stimuli. Regarding pain anticipation, OT increased responses to CSpain versus CSminus in the nucleus accumbens. Furthermore, in the OT condition increased correct expectations, particularly for the most certain conditioned stimuli (CS)-unconditioned stimuli associations (CSminus and CSpain) were found, as well as greatest deactivations in the right posterior IS in response to the least certain condition (CSwarm) with posterior IS activity and correct expectancies being positively correlated. In conclusion, OT seems to have both a direct effect on pain processing via the ventral striatum and by inducing habituation in the anterior IS as well as on pain anticipation by boostering associative learning in general and the neuronal conditioned fear of pain response in particular. PERSPECTIVE: The neuropeptide OT has recently raised the hope to offer a novel avenue for modulating pain experience. This study found OT to modulate pain processing and to facilitate the anticipation of pain, inspiring further research on OT effects on the affective dimension of the pain experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Mike M Schmitgen
- Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christine Fuchs
- Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Corinna Roth
- Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Robert Christian Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides, German Cancer Research Center DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Boll
- Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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134
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Tillman R, Gordon I, Naples A, Rolison M, Leckman JF, Feldman R, Pelphrey KA, McPartland JC. Oxytocin Enhances the Neural Efficiency of Social Perception. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:71. [PMID: 30914935 PMCID: PMC6421852 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Face perception is a highly conserved process that directs our attention from infancy and is supported by specialized neural circuitry. Oxytocin (OT) can increase accuracy and detection of emotional faces, but these effects are mediated by valence, individual differences, and context. We investigated the temporal dynamics of OT’s influence on the neural substrates of face perception using event related potentials (ERPs). In a double blind, placebo controlled within-subject design, 21 healthy male adults inhaled OT or placebo and underwent ERP imaging during two face processing tasks. Experiment 1 investigated effects of OT on neural correlates of fearful vs. neutral facial expressions, and Experiment 2 manipulated point-of-gaze to neutral faces. In Experiment 1, we found that OT reduced N170 latency to fearful faces. In Experiment 2, N170 latency was decreased when participant gaze was directed to the eyes of neutral faces; however, there were no OT-associated effects in response to different facial features. Findings suggest OT modulates early stages of social perception for socially complex information such as emotional faces relative to neutral. These results are consistent with models suggesting OT impacts the salience of socially informative cues during processing, which leads to downstream effects in behavior. Future work should examine how OT affects neural processes underlying basic components of social behavior (such as, face perception) while varying emotional expression of stimuli or comparing different characteristics of participants (e.g., gender, personality traits).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Tillman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Ilanit Gordon
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Max Rolison
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - James F Leckman
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Harrison-Wood Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professor, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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135
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Luckhaus C, Juckel G, Hurlemann R. [Oxytocin in schizophrenia : Evidence for an etiological and therapeutic relevance of the social neuromodulator]. DER NERVENARZT 2019; 90:277-284. [PMID: 30215130 DOI: 10.1007/s00115-018-0615-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Neurobiological results from animal models as well as biochemical and genetic findings in patients indicate that the oxytocin (OT) system may be dysfunctional in schizophrenia. On this pathogenetic basis transnasally administered OT (tnOT) could be an innovative treatment option for schizophrenia. Experimental data from animal studies are also suggestive of a particular effectiveness in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. To date, clinical data on tnOT treatment of schizophrenia patients does not unequivocally support a general therapeutic effect on the psychopathology but suggests positive effects on higher integrated social cognitive performance, such as empathy and mentalization. In particular, tnOT augmentation of a social cognitive skills training resulted in a marked and lasting treatment effect; however, numerous person- and context-dependent variables can potentially moderate individual effects of OT and may even reverse effects in certain constellations. Most clinical studies so far have not systematically accounted and controlled for these factors with the probable result of larger variance of recorded treatment effects and lower likelihood of ascertaining positive effectiveness. Furthermore, there is still a gap of knowledge on dose response relations and central nervous system (CNS) permeation in man following tnOT administration. This review aims to give a concise overview on the evidence for the etiological relevance of the neurohormone OT and its treatment potential in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Luckhaus
- Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Präventivmedizin der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, LWL-Universitätsklinikum Bochum, Alexandrinenstr 1-3, 44791, Bochum, Deutschland.
| | - G Juckel
- Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Präventivmedizin der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, LWL-Universitätsklinikum Bochum, Alexandrinenstr 1-3, 44791, Bochum, Deutschland
| | - R Hurlemann
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, 53105, Bonn, Deutschland
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136
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A Protective Mechanism against Illusory Perceptions Is Amygdala-Dependent. J Neurosci 2019; 39:3301-3308. [PMID: 30804094 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2577-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Most people have a clear sense of body ownership, preserving them from physical harm. However, perceptual body illusions - famously the rubber hand illusion (RHI) - can be elicited experimentally in healthy individuals. We hypothesize that the amygdala, a core component of neural circuits of threat processing, is involved in protective mechanisms against disturbed body perceptions. To test this hypothesis, we started by investigating two monozygotic human twin sisters with focal bilateral amygdala damage due to Urbach-Wiethe disease. Relative to 20 healthy women, the twins exhibited, on two occasions 1 year apart, augmented RHI responses in form of faster illusion onset and increased vividness ratings. Following up on these findings, we conducted a volumetric brain morphometry study involving an independent, gender-mixed sample of 57 healthy human volunteers (36 female, 21 male). Our results revealed a positive correlation between amygdala volume and RHI onset, i.e., the smaller the amygdala, the less time it took the RHI to emerge. This raised the question of whether a similar phenotype would result from experimental amygdala inhibition. To dampen amygdala reactivity, we intranasally administered the peptide hormone oxytocin to the same 57 individuals in a randomized trial before conducting the RHI. Compared with placebo, oxytocin treatment yielded enhanced RHI responses, again evident in accelerated illusion onset and increased vividness ratings. Together, the present series of experiments provides converging evidence for the amygdala's unprecedented role in reducing susceptibility to the RHI, thus protecting the organism from the potentially fatal threats of a distorted bodily self.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Compelling evidence indicates that the amygdala is of vital importance for danger detection and fear processing. However, lethal threats can arise not only from menacing external stimuli but also from distortions in bodily self-perception. Intriguingly, the amygdala's modulatory role in such illusory body perceptions is still elusive. To probe the amygdala's involvement in illusory body experiences, we conducted a multi-methodological series of experiments in a rare human amygdala lesion model, complemented by a morphological and pharmaco-modulatory experiment in healthy volunteers. Our findings convergently suggest that the amygdala's integrity is indispensable for maintaining an unbiased, precise perception of our bodily self. Hence, the amygdala might shield us against distortions in self-perception and the resultant loss of behavioral control of our organism.
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137
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Chen X, Nishitani S, Haroon E, Smith AK, Rilling JK. OXTR
methylation modulates exogenous oxytocin effects on human brain activity during social interaction. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12555. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xu Chen
- Center for Advanced Neuroimaging University of California, Riverside Riverside California
- Department of Anthropology Emory University Atlanta Georgia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia
| | - Shota Nishitani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia
| | - Ebrahim Haroon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia
| | - Alicia K. Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia
| | - James K. Rilling
- Department of Anthropology Emory University Atlanta Georgia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience Emory University Atlanta Georgia
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience Emory University Atlanta Georgia
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138
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Alaerts K, Bernaerts S, Vanaudenaerde B, Daniels N, Wenderoth N. Amygdala-Hippocampal Connectivity Is Associated With Endogenous Levels of Oxytocin and Can Be Altered by Exogenously Administered Oxytocin in Adults With Autism. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:655-663. [PMID: 30846366 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxytocin (OT) plays a pivotal role in interpersonal bonding, affiliation, and trust, and its intranasal administration is increasingly considered as a potential treatment for autism spectrum disorder. METHODS We explored whether variations in endogenous salivary OT concentration are related to interindividual differences in core autism symptoms and expressions of attachment in 38 male adults with autism spectrum disorder. Further, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was adopted to specifically explore whether interindividual differences are reflected in the intrinsic network organization of key regions of the central oxytocinergic system. RESULTS Positive correlations were identified between peripheral OT and expressions of secure attachment (the State Adult Attachment Measure and the Inventory of Peer Attachment), but no significant relationships were identified with scales assessing core autism symptom domains (the Social Responsiveness Scale and the Repetitive Behavior Scale). At the neural level, higher levels of endogenous OT were associated with lower degrees of interregional functional coupling between the amygdala and hippocampal regions. Interestingly, a single dose of exogenously administered OT induced a further reduction in amygdala-hippocampal connectivity, indicating that a higher availability of OT can alter the degree of amygdala-hippocampal connectivity. CONCLUSIONS The identified associations between the oxytocinergic system, expressions of secure attachment, and amygdala-hippocampal pathways are anticipated to be of relevance for understanding the role of OT in modulating appropriate neural and physiological responses to stress and restoring homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Alaerts
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, University of Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Sylvie Bernaerts
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, University of Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Vanaudenaerde
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, Group Biomedical Sciences, Pneumology Research Group, University of Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicky Daniels
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, University of Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neural Control of Movement Lab, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich, Switzerland
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139
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Oxytocin for learning calm and safety. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 136:5-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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140
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Zhang H, Gross J, De Dreu C, Ma Y. Oxytocin promotes coordinated out-group attack during intergroup conflict in humans. eLife 2019; 8:40698. [PMID: 30681410 PMCID: PMC6347450 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Intergroup conflict contributes to human discrimination and violence, but persists because individuals make costly contributions to their group’s fighting capacity. Yet how group members effectively coordinate their contributions during intergroup conflict remains poorly understood. Here we examine the role of oxytocin for (the coordination of) contributions to group attack or defense in a multi-round, real-time feedback economic contest. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study with N=480 males in an Intergroup Attacker-Defender contest game, we found that oxytocin reduced contributions to attack and over time increased attacker’s within-group coordination of contributions. However, rather than becoming peaceful, attackers given oxytocin better tracked their rival’s historical defense and coordinated their contributions into well-timed and hence more profitable attacks. Our results reveal coordination of contributions as a critical component of successful attacks and subscribe to the possibility that oxytocin enables individuals to contribute to in-group efficiency and prosperity even when doing so implies outsiders are excluded or harmed. Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter). Conflict between groups is a recurring theme in human history. We tend to form social bonds with others who share the same characteristics as ourselves, whether that is nationality, ethnicity, or supporting the same football team. Individuals that belong to the same group as us comprise our ‘in-group’. All other individuals make up our ‘out-groups’. Competition and conflict with out-groups – from benign sporting rivalry to warfare – has a key role in shaping human cultures and societies. Such conflict often requires individuals to act in ways that harm their own self-interests. It also requires them to coordinate their actions with other members of their in-group. How does our biology drive this behavior? When small groups prepare for conflict with other groups, they often perform social bonding routines and rituals. These trigger the brain to release a hormone called oxytocin into the bloodstream. Known as the ‘love hormone’, oxytocin helps promote pair bonding as well as social bonding with in-group members. Studies in both humans and monkeys show that boosting oxytocin levels artificially via a nasal spray makes individuals more trusting and cooperative. But Zhang et al. now show that the ‘love hormone’ also helps individuals launch more coordinated ‘attacks’ on out-groups. In a study involving a multi-round economic contest game between groups of ‘attackers’ and ‘defenders’, oxytocin did not make attackers less aggressive. Instead it enabled them to better coordinate their attacks. Each contest game involved three attackers individually contributing money to a group pool to outbid the other group and win more money, and three defenders making similar contributions to their own group pool to defend it against the rivals’ attacks and protect themselves from losing all their money. Attackers who used an oxytocin nasal spray were better at tracking their rivals' defensive strategies than attackers whose nasal spray contained a placebo. Under the influence of oxytocin, the attackers timed their strikes to occur when their rivals were vulnerable. Over time, the oxytocin users became better at coordinating their behavior with other members of their in-group. This resulted in more earnings. Success – and even survival – in intergroup conflicts depends on how willing individuals are to make contributions that incur a personal cost. They also depend on how well individuals coordinate their contributions. Social strategies, such as leading by example, and neurobiological mechanisms such as oxytocin can both help achieve the coordination needed to exploit out-group rivals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hejing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, International Data Group (IDG)/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jörg Gross
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Carsten De Dreu
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making (CREED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, International Data Group (IDG)/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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141
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Oxytocin administration and emotion recognition abilities in adults with a history of childhood adversity. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 99:66-71. [PMID: 30189345 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experience such as neglect or abuse can lead to long-term deficits in emotion processing abilities. Animal studies indicate that oxytocin production and/or sensitivity are influenced by variation in early nurturing experiences. The goal of this study was to test whether emotion recognition abilities and empathy might be improved via intranasal oxytocin administration in adults with a history of childhood maltreatment. We assessed a total of 80 healthy participants, half with and half without a history of childhood adversity. Participants performed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and an emotion recognition task under 24 IU intranasal oxytocin and placebo, using a double-blind crossover study design. In the first of two sessions, both groups profited equally form oxytocin administration and showed greater accuracy under oxytocin compared to placebo in the RMET (p = .049). In the emotion recognition task, only the early adversity group benefited significantly from oxytocin administration in the first session (p = .035), mainly due to more accurate recognition of angry and fearful facial expression. Our findings show that emotion processing abilities might be improved via oxytocin administration in adults reporting adverse childhood experiences.
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142
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A dose-finding study of oxytocin using neurophysiological measures of social processing. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:289-294. [PMID: 30082892 PMCID: PMC6300532 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0165-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recent interest has focused on oxytocin (OT), a neurotransmitter that promotes social processing, to improve social functioning in people with schizophrenia. However, little information is available regarding the doses of OT that are effective for influencing social processing in the brain (i.e., target engagement). In this study, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over dose ranging study of OT. In total 47 patients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to one of eight doses of OT (8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, or 84 IU). Patients completed two social processing tasks: one electroencephalography (EEG) task, a biological motion Mu-suppression task (i.e., identifying the gender, emotion, or direction of walking of point-light animations of human movement); and one pupillometry task, pupil dilation in response to viewing affective faces. Participants completed these tasks twice, one week apart, and were randomly administered drug or placebo intranasally 30 min prior to each session. Mu-suppression, i.e., suppression of oscillations in the 8-12 Hz range over central electrodes in response to social stimuli, was significantly enhanced at doses of 36 and 48 IU in comparison to placebo, but not at other doses. Significant pupil dilation was observed in response to faces vs. non-face stimuli, though there were no drug effects at any dose. Results suggest that OT affects central measures of social information processing in patients with schizophrenia and is optimal at a mid-range dose (36-48 IU). These results provide dosing guidance for future studies of OT to be used to enhance social processing in people with schizophrenia.
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143
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Flanagan JC, Sippel LM, Santa Maria MMM, Hartwell KJ, Brady KT, Joseph JE. Impact of Oxytocin on the neural correlates of fearful face processing in PTSD related to childhood Trauma. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019; 10:1606626. [PMID: 31105906 PMCID: PMC6508045 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1606626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to exposure to abuse and neglect during childhood is associated with particularly severe and persistent deleterious outcomes. Amygdala hyperreactivity has been observed in childhood trauma survivors and implicated in symptoms of PTSD. Objective: The neuropeptide oxytocin holds promise as a potential treatment for PTSD due to its ability to attenuate amygdala response to threat cues. However, the effect of oxytocin on amygdala reactivity in individuals with childhood trauma-related PTSD has not been investigated. Method: We employed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) versus placebo on amygdala reactivity to fearful faces among childhood-trauma exposed individuals with PTSD (n = 17) and without PTSD (control group; n = 16). Results: Region-of-interest based amygdala fMRI signal magnitude did not differ by group, drug, or group x drug interaction. Self-report of childhood trauma exposure severity was negatively associated with the oxytocin-related change in left amygdala response in the PTSD group, but not in the control group. Supplementary and exploratory whole-brain analyses conducted separately in each group revealed that left amygdala reactivity to fearful faces was absent on placebo but increased on oxytocin in the control group. The PTSD group showed right amygdala activation to fearful faces in both the oxytocin and placebo conditions, but the left amygdala response observed in the placebo condition was diminished on oxytocin. Conclusions: Findings extend the literature pertaining to the potential for oxytocin to attenuate neural correlates of PTSD to a childhood trauma-related PTSD sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne C Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lauren M Sippel
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Megan M Moran Santa Maria
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Karen J Hartwell
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kathleen T Brady
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jane E Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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144
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Effects of Oxytocin on Fear Memory and Neuroinflammation in a Rodent Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19123848. [PMID: 30513893 PMCID: PMC6321616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-induced mental disorder characterized by fear extinction abnormalities, which involve biological dysfunctions among fear circuit areas in the brain. Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide that regulates sexual reproduction and social interaction and has recently earned specific attention due to its role in adjusting neurobiological and behavioral correlates of PTSD; however, the mechanism by which this is achieved remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine whether the effects of OXT on traumatic stress-induced abnormalities of fear extinction (specifically induced by single prolonged stress (SPS), an animal model of PTSD) are associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines. Seven days after SPS, rats received intranasal OXT 40 min before a cue-dependent Pavlovian fear conditioning-extinction test in which rats' freezing degree was used to reflect the outcome of fear extinction. We also measured mRNA expression of IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, and amygdala at the end of the study, together with plasma oxytocin, corticosterone, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, to reflect the central and peripheral changes of stress-related hormones and cytokines after SPS. Our results suggested that intranasal OXT effectively amends the SPS-impaired behavior of fear extinction retrieval. Moreover, it neurochemically reverses the SPS increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines; thus, IL-1β and IFN-γ can be further blocked by the OXT antagonist atosiban (ASB) in the hippocampus. Peripheral profiles revealed a similar response pattern to SPS of OXT and corticosterone (CORT), and the SPS-induced increase in plasma levels of IL-1β and TNF-α could be reduced by OXT. The present study suggests potential therapeutic effects of OXT in both behavioral and neuroinflammatory profiles of PTSD.
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145
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Jarnecke AM, Barden E, Back SE, Brady KT, Flanagan JC. Intimate partner violence moderates the association between oxytocin and reactivity to dyadic conflict among couples. Psychiatry Res 2018; 270:404-411. [PMID: 30308464 PMCID: PMC6292734 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Emerging literature indicates individual and contextual differences impact response to oxytocin (OT). Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one chronic stressor that may moderate OT response. To test the hypothesis that IPV moderates the association between OT and reactivity to a dyadic conflict task, data from a larger randomized controlled study was collected from heterosexual couples (N = 60 individuals; 30 couples) at high risk for IPV due to substance misuse. Partners within each dyad completed a 10-minute dyadic conflict task in the laboratory, and then self-administered a single dose of OT (40 IU) or placebo. Forty-five minutes later, participants completed another 10-minute dyadic conflict task. Stress reactivity was measured before and after the second conflict task using neuroendocrine (i.e., salivary cortisol), physiological (i.e., skin conductance), and subjective responses. Couple conflict behaviors were observed during the conflict tasks and assessed using a validated coding system. Among women, physical IPV modulated skin conductance in those administered OT, and OT interacted with physical and psychological IPV to yield less positive subjective and behavioral responses. No main or moderating effects were found for men. Findings support emerging literature on sex differences in response to OT. Future research is needed to effectively translate OT into therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M Jarnecke
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Eileen Barden
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University - State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Sudie E Back
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kathleen T Brady
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Julianne C Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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146
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Grace SA, Rossell SL, Heinrichs M, Kordsachia C, Labuschagne I. Oxytocin and brain activity in humans: A systematic review and coordinate-based meta-analysis of functional MRI studies. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 96:6-24. [PMID: 29879563 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide which has a critical role in human social behaviour and cognition. Research investigating the role of OXT on functional brain changes in humans has often used task paradigms that probe socioemotional processes. Preliminary evidence suggests a central role of the amygdala in the social cognitive effects of intranasal OXT (IN-OXT), however, inconsistencies in task-design and analysis methods have led to inconclusive findings regarding a cohesive model of the neural mechanisms underlying OXT's actions. The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematically investigate these findings. A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases was conducted for fMRI studies which compared IN-OXT to placebo in humans. First, we systematically reviewed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of IN-OXT, including studies of healthy humans, those with clinical disorders, and studies examining resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI). Second, we employed a coordinate-based meta-analysis for task-based neuroimaging literature using activation likelihood estimation (ALE), whereby, coordinates were extracted from clusters with significant differences in IN-OXT versus placebo in healthy adults. Data were included for 39 fMRI studies that reported a total of 374 distinct foci. The meta-analysis identified task-related IN-OXT increases in activity within a cluster of the left superior temporal gyrus during tasks of emotion processing. These findings are important as they implicate regions beyond the amygdala in the neural effects of IN-OXT. The outcomes from this meta-analysis can guide a priori predictions for future OXT research, and provide an avenue for targeted treatment interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally A Grace
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Izelle Labuschagne
- School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
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147
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Zhao Z, Ma X, Geng Y, Zhao W, Zhou F, Wang J, Markett S, Biswal BB, Ma Y, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Oxytocin differentially modulates specific dorsal and ventral striatal functional connections with frontal and cerebellar regions. Neuroimage 2018; 184:781-789. [PMID: 30266264 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between oxytocin and the basal ganglia are central in current overarching conceptualizations of its broad modulatory effects on behavior. Whereas evidence from animal models emphasizes the critical role of the ventral striatum in the behavioral effects of oxytocin, region-specific contributions of the basal ganglia have not been systematically explored in humans. The present study combined the randomized placebo-controlled administration of oxytocin versus placebo in healthy men (n = 144) with fMRI-based resting-state functional connectivity to determine the modulatory role of oxytocin on the major basal ganglia pathways. Oxytocin specifically increased connectivity between ventral striatal and pallidal nodes with upstream frontal regions, whereas it decreased the strengths of downstream pathways between the dorsal striatum and posterior cerebellum. These pathways have previously been implicated in salience, reward and behavioral flexibility, thus shaping goal-directed behavior. Given the importance of aberrant striatal intrinsic organization in autism, addiction and schizophrenia the present findings may suggest new mechanistic perspectives for the therapeutic potential of oxytocin in these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaole Ma
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 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, 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, 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, China
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 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, 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, China.
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148
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Boll S, Almeida de Minas A, Raftogianni A, Herpertz S, Grinevich V. Oxytocin and Pain Perception: From Animal Models to Human Research. Neuroscience 2018; 387:149-161. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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149
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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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150
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Yao S, Zhao W, Geng Y, Chen Y, Zhao Z, Ma X, Xu L, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin Facilitates Approach Behavior to Positive Social Stimuli via Decreasing Anterior Insula Activity. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 21:918-925. [PMID: 30085122 PMCID: PMC6165955 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neuropeptide oxytocin can extensively modulate human social behavior and affective processing, and its effects can be interpreted in terms of mediating approach-avoidance motivational processes. However, little is known about how oxytocin mediates approach-avoidance behavior and particularly the underlying neural mechanisms. METHODS In a randomized, double-blind, between-subject design, the present pharmaco-fMRI study used an approach-avoidance paradigm to investigate oxytocin's effects on approach-avoidance behavior and associated neural mechanisms. RESULTS Results revealed that oxytocin generally decreased activity in the right striatum irrespective of response (approach/avoidance) and social context, suggesting an inhibitory effect on motivational representation during both appetitive approach and aversive avoidance. Importantly, while on the behavioral level oxytocin selectively enhanced accuracy when approaching social positive stimuli, on the neural level it decreased left ventral and right dorsal anterior insula activity in response to social vs nonsocial positive stimuli compared with the placebo treatment. The left ventral anterior insula activity was negatively correlated with the corresponding accuracy difference scores in the oxytocin but not in the placebo group. CONCLUSION Given the role of the ventral anterior insula in emotional processing and the dorsal anterior insula in salience processing, the oxytocin-induced suppression of activity in these regions may indicate that oxytocin is acting to reduce interference from hyper-activity in core regions of the emotional and salience networks when approaching salient positive social stimuli and thereby to promote social interaction. Thus, oxytocin may be of potential therapeutic benefit for psychiatric disorders exhibiting avoidance of social stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yayuan Geng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuanshu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhiying Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaole Ma
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China,Correspondence: Keith M. Kendrick, PhD, No. 2006, Xiyuan Ave., West Hi-Tech Zone, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China () and Benjamin Becker, No. 2006, Xiyuan Ave., West Hi-Tech Zone, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China ()
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China,Correspondence: Keith M. Kendrick, PhD, No. 2006, Xiyuan Ave., West Hi-Tech Zone, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China () and Benjamin Becker, No. 2006, Xiyuan Ave., West Hi-Tech Zone, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China ()
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