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Procyshyn TL, Dupertuys J, Bartz JA. Neuroimaging and behavioral evidence of sex-specific effects of oxytocin on human sociality. Trends Cogn Sci 2024:S1364-6613(24)00170-0. [PMID: 39054193 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Although the social role of oxytocin came to light due to sex-specific interactions such as mother-offspring bonding, current understanding of sex differences in the effects of oxytocin on human sociality is limited because of the predominance of all-male samples. With the increasing inclusion of females in intranasal oxytocin research, it is now possible to explore such patterns. Neuroimaging studies reveal relatively consistent sex-differential effects of oxytocin on the activation of brain regions associated with processing social stimuli - particularly the amygdala. Findings from behavioral research are varied but suggest that oxytocin more often facilitates social cognition and positive social interactions in males, with context-dependent effects in each sex. We discuss potential biological and psychological mechanisms underlying the reported sex differences, and conclude with considerations for future research and clinical applications of oxytocin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya L Procyshyn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK.
| | - Juliette Dupertuys
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Bartz
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada
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2
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Flechsenhar A, Levine SM, Müller LE, Herpertz SC, Bertsch K. Oxytocin and social learning in socially anxious men and women. Neuropharmacology 2024; 251:109930. [PMID: 38537867 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study extended a classic self-referential learning paradigm by investigating the effects of intranasally-administered oxytocin in high and low socially anxious participants during social learning, as a function of social anxiety levels and sex. METHODS In a randomized double-blinded design, 160 participants were either given intranasal oxytocin (24 I.U.) or placebo. Subsequently, while lying in an MR scanner, participants were shown neutral faces that were paired with positively, neutrally, or negatively valenced self-referential sentences, during which we measured self-reported arousal and sympathy of the facial stimuli, pupil dilation, and changes in the brain-oxygen-level dependent signal. Four-factor mixed analyses of variance with the between-subjects factors group (high socially anxious vs. low socially anxious), substance (oxytocin vs. placebo), and sex (male vs. female) and the within-subjects factor sentence valence (positive vs. neutral vs. negative) were conducted for each measure, respectively. RESULTS Administration of intranasal oxytocin yielded an increase in sympathy ratings in high socially anxious compared to low socially anxious individuals and decreased arousal ratings for positively-conditioned faces in low socially anxious participants. As an objective physiological measure of arousal, pupil dilation mirrored the behavioral results. Oxytocin effects on neural activation in the insula interacted with anxiety levels and sex: low socially anxious individuals yielded lower activation under oxytocin than placebo; the converse was observed in high socially anxious individuals. This interaction also differed between sexes, as men yielded higher activation levels than women. These findings were more prominent for positively- and negatively-conditioned faces. Within the amygdala, high socially anxious men yielded higher activation than high socially anxious women in the left hemisphere, and low socially anxious men yielded higher activation than low socially anxious women from positively- and negatively-conditioned faces, though no influence of oxytocin was detected. CONCLUSION These results suggest oxytocin-induced behavioral, physiological, and neural changes as a function of social learning in socially low and high anxious individuals. These findings challenge the amygdalocentric view of the role of emotions in social learning, instead contributing to the growing body of findings implicating the insula therein, revealing an interaction between oxytocin, sex, and emotional valence. Such discoveries raise an interesting set of questions regarding the computational goals of regions such as the insula in emotional learning and how neural activity can play a diagnostic or prognostic role in social anxiety, potentially leading to new treatment opportunities that may combine oxytocin and neurofeedback differentially for men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleya Flechsenhar
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany; NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany
| | - Seth M Levine
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany; NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany
| | - Laura E Müller
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany; NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany; Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany.
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3
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Cogoni C, Fiuza A, Hassanein L, Antunes M, Prata D. Computer anthropomorphisation in a socio-economic dilemma. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:667-679. [PMID: 36781699 PMCID: PMC10830593 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02071-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
In the study of human behaviour, non-social targets are often used as a control for human-to-human interactions. However, the concept of anthropomorphisation suggests that human-like qualities can be attributed to non-human objects. This can prove problematic in psychological experiments, as computers are often used as non-social targets. Here, we assessed the degree of computer anthropomorphisation in a sequential and iterated prisoner's dilemma. Participants (N = 41) faced three opponents in the prisoner's dilemma paradigm-a human, a computer, and a roulette-all represented by images presented at the commencement of each round. Cooperation choice frequencies and transition probabilities were estimated within subjects, in rounds against each opponent. We found that participants anthropomorphised the computer opponent to a high degree, while the same was not found for the roulette (i.e. no cooperation choice difference vs human opponents; p = .99). The difference in participants' behaviour towards the computer vs the roulette was further potentiated by the precedent roulette round, in terms of both cooperation choice (61%, p = .007) and cooperation probability after reciprocated defection (79%, p = .007). This suggests that there could be a considerable anthropomorphisation bias towards computer opponents in social games, even for those without a human-like appearance. Conversely, a roulette may be a preferable non-social control when the opponent's abilities are not explicit or familiar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Cogoni
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande 016, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Angelica Fiuza
- Department of Health Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leslie Hassanein
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Marília Antunes
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações e Departamento de Estatística e Investigação Operacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Diana Prata
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande 016, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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4
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Harris LT. The Neuroscience of Human and Artificial Intelligence Presence. Annu Rev Psychol 2024; 75:433-466. [PMID: 37906951 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-013123-123421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Two decades of social neuroscience and neuroeconomics research illustrate the brain mechanisms that are engaged when people consider human beings, often in comparison to considering artificial intelligence (AI) as a nonhuman control. AI as an experimental control preserves agency and facilitates social interactions but lacks a human presence, providing insight into brain mechanisms that are engaged by human presence and the presence of AI. Here, I review this literature to determine how the brain instantiates human and AI presence across social perception and decision-making paradigms commonly used to realize a social context. People behave toward humans differently than they do toward AI. Moreover, brain regions more engaged by humans compared to AI extend beyond the social cognition brain network to all parts of the brain, and the brain sometimes is engaged more by AI than by humans. Finally, I discuss gaps in the literature, limitations in current neuroscience approaches, and how an understanding of the brain correlates of human and AI presence can inform social science in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasana T Harris
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
- Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom
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5
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Polk R, Horta M, Lin T, Porges E, Ojeda M, Nazarloo HP, Carter CS, Ebner NC. Evaluating the neuropeptide-social cognition link in ageing: the mediating role of basic cognitive skills. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210048. [PMID: 35858076 PMCID: PMC9274329 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The roles of oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) as crucial modulators of social cognition and related behaviours have been extensively addressed in the literature. The involvement of these neuropeptides in social cognition in ageing, however, and a potential mediating effect of basic cognitive capacities on this link, are not well understood. To fill these research gaps, this study assessed associations of plasma OT and AVP levels with dynamic emotion identification accuracy in generally healthy older men (aged 55-95 years) and probed the underlying roles of crystallized and fluid cognition in these associations. Higher plasma OT levels were associated with lower accuracy in dynamic emotion identification, with this negative relationship fully mediated by cognition. For plasma AVP levels, in contrast, there was no association with dynamic emotion identification accuracy. Integrated within existing theoretical accounts, results from this study advance understanding of the neuropeptide-social cognition link in ageing and support basic cognitive capacities as mediators in this association. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Polk
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marilyn Horta
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Tian Lin
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Eric Porges
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marite Ojeda
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hans P. Nazarloo
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - C. Sue Carter
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Natalie C. Ebner
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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6
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Boyle A, Johnson A, Ellenbogen M. Intranasal oxytocin alters attention to emotional facial expressions, particularly for males and those with depressive symptoms. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 142:105796. [PMID: 35617742 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Intranasal oxytocin (OT) can enhance emotion recognition, perhaps by promoting increased attention to social cues. Some studies indicate that individuals with difficulties processing social information, including those with psychopathology, show more pronounced effects in response to OT. As such, there is interest in the potential therapeutic use of OT in populations with deficits in social cognition. The present study examined the effects of intranasal OT on the processing of facial features and selective attention to emotional facial expressions, as well as whether individual differences in depressive symptom severity predict sensitivity to intranasal OT. In a double-blind placebo-controlled within-subject design, eye tracking was used to measure attention to facial features in an emotional expression appraisal task, and attention to emotional expressions in a free-viewing task with a quadrant of multiple faces. OT facilitated the processing of positive cues, enhancing the maintenance of attention to the mouth region of happy faces and to happy faces within a quadrant, with similar effect sizes, despite the latter effect not being statistically significant. Further, persons with depressive symptoms, and particularly males, were sensitive to OT's effects. For males only, OT, relative to placebo, increased attentional focus to the mouth region of all faces. Individuals with depressive symptoms showed less attentional focus on angry (males only) and sad facial expressions, and more attention to happy faces (particularly for males). Results indicate increased sensitivity to OT in males and persons at risk for depression, with OT administration promoting a positive bias in selective attention to social stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Boyle
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Canada.
| | - Aaron Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Canada.
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7
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Itskovich E, Bowling DL, Garner JP, Parker KJ. Oxytocin and the social facilitation of placebo effects. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2640-2649. [PMID: 35338314 PMCID: PMC9167259 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01515-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Significant clinical improvement is often observed in patients who receive placebo treatment in randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials. While a proportion of this "improvement" reflects experimental design limitations (e.g., reliance on subjective outcomes, unbalanced groups, reporting biases), some of it reflects genuine improvement corroborated by physiological change. Converging evidence across diverse medical conditions suggests that clinically-relevant benefits from placebo treatment are associated with the activation of brain reward circuits. In parallel, evidence has accumulated showing that such benefits are facilitated by clinicians that demonstrate warmth and proficiency during interactions with patients. Here, we integrate research on these neural and social aspects of placebo effects with evidence linking oxytocin and social reward to advance a neurobiological account for the social facilitation of placebo effects. This account frames oxytocin as a key mediator of treatment success across a wide-spectrum of interventions that increase social connectedness, thereby providing a biological basis for assessing this fundamental non-specific element of medical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Itskovich
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Daniel L. Bowling
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Joseph P. Garner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Karen J. Parker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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8
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Beyond lottery-evoked ambiguity aversion: the neural signature of the types and the sources of uncertainty. Neuroimage 2022; 251:119007. [PMID: 35182750 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on decision-making under uncertainty have mainly focused on understanding preferences for either risk or ambiguity using standard lottery designs. However, people often face uncertainty that directly stems from interacting with other people, which may be processed differently from lottery-based uncertainty. Here, we substantially extend the investigation of uncertainty by examining a fourfold pattern of the sources and the types of uncertainty, assessing behavioral and neural responses to both risk and ambiguity across both social and non-social contexts. A key element in our research design was to control for participants' naturally occurring social beliefs, and taking these a priori beliefs into account allow us to elicit individual preferences in accordance with economic approaches that stress the dynamics of ambiguity preference as a function of underlying likelihoods. Using this design, we find a behavioral main effect of ambiguity aversion, with increasing ambiguity aversion as a function of higher beliefs regarding the likelihood of reciprocity, and related neural activity in the right IPS. This brain region was primarily involved when participants experienced lottery-based uncertainty as opposed to social uncertainty. However, we found that the right IFG was more involved when participants made decisions under social, as compared to non-social, uncertainty. Overall, therefore, the IPS may activate an analytic mindset, which might resonate more with a lottery than a social context, whereas the IFG is engaged when the context requires players to resolve uncertainty, such as unravelling the intentions behind the choice of another person.
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9
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A Combined Administration of Testosterone and Arginine Vasopressin Affects Aggressive Behavior in Males. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11121623. [PMID: 34942928 PMCID: PMC8699569 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is modulated by many factors, including personality and cognition, as well as endocrine and neural changes. To study the potential effects on the reaction to provocation, which was realized by an ostensible opponent subtracting money from the participant, we administered testosterone (T) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) or a respective placebo (PL). Forty males underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging session while performing a provocation paradigm. We investigated differential hormone effects and the potential influence of Machiavellian traits on punishment choices (monetary subtractions by the participant) in the paradigm. Participants in the T/AVP group subtracted more money when they were not provoked but showed increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule during feedback compared to PL. Higher Machiavellian traits significantly increased punishing behavior independent of provocation only in this group. The pilot study shows that T/AVP affects neural and behavioral responses during a provocation paradigm while personality characteristics, such as Machiavellian trait patterns, specifically interact with hormonal influences (T/AVP) and their effects on behavior.
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10
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Intranasal vasopressin like oxytocin increases social attention by influencing top-down control, but additionally enhances bottom-up control. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 133:105412. [PMID: 34537624 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The respective roles of the neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) in modulating social cognition and for therapeutic intervention in autism spectrum disorder have not been fully established. In particular, while numerous studies have demonstrated effects of oxytocin in promoting social attention the role of AVP has not been examined. The present study employed a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PLC)-controlled between-subject design to explore the social- and emotion-specific effects of AVP on both bottom-up and top-down attention processing with a validated emotional anti-saccade eye-tracking paradigm in 80 healthy male subjects (PLC = 40, AVP = 40). Our findings showed that AVP increased the error rate for social (angry, fearful, happy, neutral and sad faces) but not non-social (oval shapes) stimuli during the anti-saccade condition and reduced error rates in the pro-saccade condition. Comparison of these findings with a previous study (sample size: PLC = 33, OXT = 33) using intranasal oxytocin revealed similar effects of the two peptides on anti-saccade errors, although with some difference in effects of specific face emotions, but a significantly greater effect of AVP on pro-saccades. Both peptides also produced a post-task anxiolytic effect by reducing state anxiety. Together these findings suggested that both AVP and OXT decrease goal-directed top-down attention control to social salient stimuli but that AVP more potently increased bottom-up social attentional processing.
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11
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Le C, Finger E. Pharmacotherapy for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia. CNS Drugs 2021; 35:1081-1096. [PMID: 34426949 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-021-00854-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite significant progress in the understanding of the frontotemporal dementias (FTDs), there remains no disease-modifying treatment for these conditions, and limited effective symptomatic treatment. Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is the most common FTD syndrome, and is characterized by severe impairments in behaviour, personality and cognition. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common features of bvFTD but are present in the other FTD syndromes. Current treatment strategies therefore focus on ameliorating the neuropsychiatric features. Here we review the rationale for current treatments related to each of the main neuropsychiatric symptoms forming the diagnostic criteria for bvFTD relevant to all FTD subtypes, and two additional symptoms not currently part of the diagnostic criteria: lack of insight and psychosis. Given the paucity of effective treatments for these symptoms, we highlight how contributing mechanisms delineated in cognitive neuroscience may inform future approaches to clinical trials and more precise symptomatic treatments for FTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Le
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Finger
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
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12
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Rhoads SA, Cutler J, Marsh AA. A Feature-Based Network Analysis and fMRI Meta-Analysis Reveal Three Distinct Types of Prosocial Decisions. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:1214-1233. [PMID: 34160604 PMCID: PMC8717062 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tasks that measure correlates of prosocial decision-making share one common feature: agents can make choices that increase the welfare of a beneficiary. However, prosocial decisions vary widely as a function of other task features. The diverse ways that prosociality is defined and the heterogeneity of prosocial decisions have created challenges for interpreting findings across studies and identifying their neural correlates. To overcome these challenges, we aimed to organize the prosocial decision-making task space of neuroimaging studies. We conducted a systematic search for studies in which participants made decisions to increase the welfare of others during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We identified shared and distinct features of these tasks and employed an unsupervised graph-based approach to assess how various forms of prosocial decision-making are related in terms of their low-level components (e.g. task features like potential cost to the agent or potential for reciprocity). Analyses uncovered three clusters of prosocial decisions, which we labeled as cooperation, equity and altruism. This feature-based representation of the task structure was supported by results of a neuroimaging meta-analysis that each type of prosocial decisions recruited diverging neural systems. Results clarify some of the existing heterogeneity in how prosociality is conceptualized and generate insight for future research and task paradigm development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn A Rhoads
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jo Cutler
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Abigail A Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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13
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Chen X, Xu Y, Li B, Wu X, Li T, Wang L, Zhang Y, Lin W, Qu C, Feng C. Intranasal vasopressin modulates resting state brain activity across multiple neural systems: Evidence from a brain imaging machine learning study. Neuropharmacology 2021; 190:108561. [PMID: 33852823 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP), a neuropeptide with widespread receptors in brain regions important for socioemotional processing, is critical in regulating various mammalian social behavior and emotion. Although a growing body of task-based brain imaging studies have revealed the effects of AVP on brain activity associated with emotion processing, social cognition and behaviors, the potential modulations of AVP on resting-state brain activity remain largely unknown. Here, the current study addressed this issue by adopting a machine learning approach to distinguish administration of AVP and placebo, employing the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) as a measure of resting-state brain activity. The brain regions contributing to the classification were then subjected to functional connectivity and decoding analyses, allowing for a data-driven quantitative inference on psychophysiological functions. Our results indicated that ALFF across multiple neural systems were sufficient to distinguish between AVP and placebo at individual level, with the contributing regions distributed across the social cognition network, sensorimotor regions and emotional processing network. These findings suggest that the role of AVP in socioemotional functioning recruits multiple brain networks distributed across the whole brain rather than specific localized neural pathways. Beyond these findings, the current data-driven approach also opens a novel avenue to delineate neural underpinnings of various neuropeptides or hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinling Chen
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yongbo Xu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Bingjie Li
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Ting Li
- Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR) South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Li Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yijie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Wanghuan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Chen Qu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
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Yang X, Wang W, Wang XT, Wang YW. A meta-analysis of hormone administration effects on cooperative behaviours: Oxytocin, vasopressin, and testosterone. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:430-443. [PMID: 33819546 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The hormones oxytocin, vasopressin, and testosterone have been implicated in cooperative behaviours and have attracted increasing research interest for their potential to regulate human cooperation in both healthy and clinical populations. However, the behavioural effects of the administration of these hormones remain to be verified. The current analysis included 41 studies involving 3,269 participants with a narrow age range. We examined the administration effects of these hormones on cooperative behaviour and the regulatory effects of individual characteristics, hormone interventions, and task structure and context. Results revealed a moderate positive effect size of oxytocin intranasal administration, a large negative effect size of vasopressin intranasal administration, and nonsignificant effects of testosterone administration on cooperative behaviours. Participants with mental dysfunctions were less sensitive to oxytocin and vasopressin administration. Oxytocin administration was effective in an in-group situation and for initial choices, corroborating a Tit-for-Tat strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yang
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; Institute of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Mathematics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Xiao Tian Wang
- School of Humanities and Social Science, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China.
| | - Yi Wen Wang
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; Institute of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
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15
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Warrener CD, Valentin EM, Gallin C, Richey L, Ross DB, Hood CJ, Lori A, Cubells J, Rauch SA, Rilling JK. The role of oxytocin signaling in depression and suicidality in returning war veterans. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 126:105085. [PMID: 33582574 PMCID: PMC8483597 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Many war veterans struggle with depression and suicidality, and separation from the military is a time of particularly high risk. Based on research in non-human animals, we hypothesized that reduced oxytocin signaling would mediate symptoms of depression and suicidality in war veterans recently separated from their close comrades. We also hypothesized that veterans with more frequent contact with comrades would have fewer symptoms of depression and suicidality. In this cross-sectional study, male veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (n = 86) provided blood and urine samples for measurement of peripheral oxytocin (OT) levels, as well as saliva samples for DNA extraction followed by genotyping of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, and CpG-methylation assessment. Participants also completed a series of mental health questionnaires and interviews. Veterans reported feeling very close to their comrades during war, and missing them greatly upon returning home. Neither peripheral OT levels nor OXTR genotypes were related to symptoms of depression or suicidality. On the other hand, methylation at OXTR CpG -924 was negatively correlated with depressive symptomology, after controlling for possible confounds. Veterans who socialized with comrades more frequently had higher levels of urinary, but not plasma OT, as well as less depressive symptomology. Social connectedness was a strong negative predictor of symptoms of both depression and suicidality, eclipsing the predictive power of other variables such as post-deployment social support, the degree to which participants reported missing their comrades, and the frequency with which they socialized with comrades. Our results suggest that veteran mental health is more impacted by lack of social connectedness than by separation from close comrades per se. While there is some evidence that OXTR methylation relates to depressive symptomology, decreased OT signaling does not appear to mediate the relationship between social disconnectedness and depression or suicidality. Sleep quality and anxiety disorders were also significantly associated with mental health symptoms, independent of social connectedness. Our findings suggest that efforts aimed at alleviating the burden of depression and suicidality in returning war veterans should focus on re-integrating veterans into society and establishing a feeling of social connectedness, as well as on treating anxiety disorders and sleep problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne D. Warrener
- The Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work, Clark Atlanta University, USA
| | - Edward M. Valentin
- The Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work, Clark Atlanta University, USA
| | - Camilla Gallin
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Emory University, USA
| | | | | | - Chelsea J. Hood
- The Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work, Clark Atlanta University, USA
| | - Adriana Lori
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Joseph Cubells
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA,Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Sheila A.M. Rauch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA,Mental Health Service Line, VA Atlanta Healthcare System, USA
| | - James K. Rilling
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA,Department of Anthropology, Emory University, USA,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, USA,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, USA,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, USA,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, USA,Corresponding author at: Department of Anthropology, Emory University, USA. (J.K. Rilling)
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16
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Frazier I, Lin T, Liu P, Skarsten S, Feifel D, Ebner NC. Age and intranasal oxytocin effects on trust-related decisions after breach of trust: Behavioral and brain evidence. Psychol Aging 2021; 36:10-21. [PMID: 33705182 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Age-related differences in cognition and socioemotional functions, and in associated brain regions, may reduce sensitivity to cues of untrustworthiness, with effects on trust-related decision making and trusting behavior. This study examined age-group differences in brain activity and behavior during a trust game. In this game, participants received "breach-of-trust" feedback after half of the trials. The feedback indicated that only 50% of the monetary investment into their fellow players had resulted in returns. The study also explored the effects of intranasal oxytocin on trust-related decisions in aging, based on suggestions of a modulatory role of oxytocin in response to negative social stimuli and perceptions of trust. Forty-seven younger and 46 older participants self-administered intranasal oxytocin or placebo, in a randomized, double-blind, between-subjects procedure, before they engaged in the trust game while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Younger participants invested less into their game partners after breach-of-trust feedback, while older participants showed no significant difference in their investment after breach-of-trust feedback. Oxytocin did not modulate the behavioral effects. However, after breach-of-trust feedback, older participants in the oxytocin group showed less activity in the left superior temporal gyrus. In contrast, older participants in the placebo group showed more activity in left superior temporal gyrus after breach of trust. The findings may reflect reduced responsiveness to cues of untrustworthiness in older adults. Furthermore, the modulatory effect of oxytocin on left superior temporal gyrus activity among older adults supports the neuropeptide's age-differential role in neural processes in aging, including in the context of trust-related decision making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Frazier
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida
| | - Tian Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida
| | - Peiwei Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida
| | | | - David Feifel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
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17
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Radke S, Jankowiak K, Tops S, Abel T, Habel U, Derntl B. Neurobiobehavioral responses to virtual social rejection in females-exploring the influence of oxytocin. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:326-333. [PMID: 33326562 PMCID: PMC7943366 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, especially adolescents and young adults interact frequently via social media and digital communication. Mimicking an online communication platform where participants could initiate short conversations with two computerized interlocutors, the Verbal Interaction Social Threat Task (VISTTA) was used to induce feelings of social rejection. Motivational and physiological reactions were investigated in 43 healthy young women undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), of which 22 received 24 international units (IU) intranasal oxytocin and 21 received placebo. Replicating previous findings, social rejection entailed a lower willingness to cooperate with the two peers. Increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral insula/inferior frontal gyrus was observed when receiving negative feedback from others, and in the precuneus when subsequently rating one's willingness to cooperate with them in the future. Oxytocin did not seem to alter responses to social rejection. The current findings provide validation of the VISTTA for examining consequences of rejection in a virtual social interaction that bears a strong resemblance to online communication platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Radke
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH, Aachen 52074, Germany
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) – BRAIN Institute I: Brain Structure-Function Relationships: Decoding the Human Brain at Systemic Levels, Research Center Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Kathrin Jankowiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH, Aachen 52074, Germany
- Research Center for Bioelectromagnetic Interaction (femu) – Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Sanne Tops
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Ted Abel
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH, Aachen 52074, Germany
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) – BRAIN Institute I: Brain Structure-Function Relationships: Decoding the Human Brain at Systemic Levels, Research Center Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
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18
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Sparapani S, Millet-Boureima C, Oliver J, Mu K, Hadavi P, Kalostian T, Ali N, Avelar CM, Bardies M, Barrow B, Benedikt M, Biancardi G, Bindra R, Bui L, Chihab Z, Cossitt A, Costa J, Daigneault T, Dault J, Davidson I, Dias J, Dufour E, El-Khoury S, Farhangdoost N, Forget A, Fox A, Gebrael M, Gentile MC, Geraci O, Gnanapragasam A, Gomah E, Haber E, Hamel C, Iyanker T, Kalantzis C, Kamali S, Kassardjian E, Kontos HK, Le TBU, LoScerbo D, Low YF, Mac Rae D, Maurer F, Mazhar S, Nguyen A, Nguyen-Duong K, Osborne-Laroche C, Park HW, Parolin E, Paul-Cole K, Peer LS, Philippon M, Plaisir CA, Porras Marroquin J, Prasad S, Ramsarun R, Razzaq S, Rhainds S, Robin D, Scartozzi R, Singh D, Fard SS, Soroko M, Soroori Motlagh N, Stern K, Toro L, Toure MW, Tran-Huynh S, Trépanier-Chicoine S, Waddingham C, Weekes AJ, Wisniewski A, Gamberi C. The Biology of Vasopressin. Biomedicines 2021; 9:89. [PMID: 33477721 PMCID: PMC7832310 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9010089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vasopressins are evolutionarily conserved peptide hormones. Mammalian vasopressin functions systemically as an antidiuretic and regulator of blood and cardiac flow essential for adapting to terrestrial environments. Moreover, vasopressin acts centrally as a neurohormone involved in social and parental behavior and stress response. Vasopressin synthesis in several cell types, storage in intracellular vesicles, and release in response to physiological stimuli are highly regulated and mediated by three distinct G protein coupled receptors. Other receptors may bind or cross-bind vasopressin. Vasopressin is regulated spatially and temporally through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms, sex, tissue, and cell-specific receptor expression. Anomalies of vasopressin signaling have been observed in polycystic kidney disease, chronic heart failure, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Growing knowledge of the central biological roles of vasopressin has enabled pharmacological advances to treat these conditions by targeting defective systemic or central pathways utilizing specific agonists and antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Chiara Gamberi
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada; (S.S.); (C.M.-B.); (J.O.); (K.M.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (N.A.); (C.M.A.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (M.B.); (G.B.); (R.B.); (L.B.); (Z.C.); (A.C.); (J.C.); (T.D.); (J.D.); (I.D.); (J.D.); (E.D.); (S.E.-K.); (N.F.); (A.F.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (M.C.G.); (O.G.); (A.G.); (E.G.); (E.H.); (C.H.); (T.I.); (C.K.); (S.K.); (E.K.); (H.K.K.); (T.B.U.L.); (D.L.); (Y.F.L.); (D.M.R.); (F.M.); (S.M.); (A.N.); (K.N.-D.); (C.O.-L.); (H.W.P.); (E.P.); (K.P.-C.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (C.-A.P.); (J.P.M.); (S.P.); (R.R.); (S.R.); (S.R.); (D.R.); (R.S.); (D.S.); (S.S.F.); (M.S.); (N.S.M.); (K.S.); (L.T.); (M.W.T.); (S.T.-H.); (S.T.-C.); (C.W.); (A.J.W.); (A.W.)
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19
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Chronic oxytocin administration in older men modulates functional connectivity during animacy perception. AGING BRAIN 2021; 1:100023. [PMID: 36911518 PMCID: PMC9997159 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2021.100023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
While aging is associated with social-cognitive change and oxytocin plays a crucial role in social cognition, oxytocin's effects on the social brain in older age remain understudied. To date, no study has examined the effects of chronic intranasal oxytocin administration on brain mechanisms underlying animacy perception in older adults. Using a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded design in generally healthy older men (mean age (SD) = 69(6); n = 17 oxytocin; n = 14 placebo), this study determined the effects of a four-week intranasal oxytocin administration (24 international units/twice a day) on functional MRI (fMRI) during the Heider-Simmel task. This passive-viewing animacy perception paradigm contains video-clips of simple shapes suggesting social interactions (SOCIAL condition) or exhibiting random trajectories (RANDOM condition). While there were no oxytocin-specific effects on brain fMRI activation during the SOCIAL compared to the RANDOM condition, pre-to-post intervention change in the SOCIAL-RANDOM difference in functional connectivity (FC) was higher in the oxytocin compared to the placebo group in a network covering occipital, temporal, and parietal areas, and the superior temporal sulcus, a key structure in animacy perception. These findings suggest oxytocin modulation of circuits involved in action observation and social perception. Follow-up analyses on this network's connections suggested a pre-to-post intervention decrease in the SOCIAL-RANDOM difference in FC among the placebo group, possibly reflecting habituation to repeated exposure to social cues. Chronic oxytocin appeared to counter this process by decreasing FC during the RANDOM and increasing it during the SOCIAL condition. This study advances knowledge about oxytocin intervention mechanisms in the social brain of older adults.
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20
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Lu Q, Hu S. Sex differences of oxytocin and vasopressin in social behaviors. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 180:65-88. [PMID: 34225950 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-820107-7.00005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) are known to mediate social cognition and behaviors in a sex-dependent manner. This chapter reviews the sex-dependent influence of OT and VP on social behaviors, focusing on (1) partner preference and sexual orientation, (2) memory modulation, (3) emotion regulation, and (4) trust-related behaviors. Most studies suggest that OT promotes familiar (opposite-sex) partner preference, strengthens memory, relieves anxiety, and increases trust. However, VP-regulated social cognition has been studied less than OT. VP facilitates familiar (opposite-sex) partner preference, enhances memory, induces anxiety, and influences happiness/anger perception. Detailed sex differences of these effects are reviewed. There is a male preponderance in the use of animal models and many study results are too complex to draw firm conclusions. Clarifying the complex interplay between the OT/VP system and sex hormones in the regulation of social behaviors is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoqiao Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shaohua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China; Brain Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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21
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Cervantes Constantino F, Garat S, Nicolaisen-Sobesky E, Paz V, Martínez-Montes E, Kessel D, Cabana Á, Gradin VB. Neural processing of iterated prisoner's dilemma outcomes indicates next-round choice and speed to reciprocate cooperation. Soc Neurosci 2020; 16:103-120. [PMID: 33297873 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2020.1859410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The iterated prisoner's dilemma (iPD) game is a well-established model for testing how people cooperate, and the neural processes that unfold after its distinct outcomes have been partly described. Recent theoretical models suggest evolution favors intuitive cooperation, which raises questions on the behavioral but also neural timelines involved. We studied the outcome/feedback stage of iPD rounds with electroencephalography (EEG) methods. Results showed that neural signals associated with this stage also relate to future choice, in an outcome-dependent manner: (i) after zero-gain "sucker's payoffs" (unreciprocated cooperation), a participant's decision thereafter relates to changes to the feedback-related negativity (FRN); (ii) after one-sided non-cooperation (participant wins at co-player's expense), by the P3; (iii) after mutual cooperation, by late frontal delta-band modulations. Critically, faster reciprocation behavior towards a co-player's choice to cooperate was predicted, on a single-trial basis, by players' P3 and frontal delta modulations at the immediately preceding trial. Delta-band signaling is discussed in relation to homeostatic regulation processing in the literature. The findings relate the early outcome/feedback stage to subsequent decisional processes in the iPD, providing a first neural account of the brief timelines implied in heuristic modes of cooperation.
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22
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Ma Y, Ran G, Hu N, Hu Y, Long W, Chen X. Intranasal oxytocin attenuates insula activity in response to dynamic angry faces. Biol Psychol 2020; 157:107976. [PMID: 33157152 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The effects of intranasal oxytocin on amygdala activity during emotional perception are often mixed. Given that the brain is organized into networks of interconnected areas, functional connectivity might provide an effective way to further understand the oxytocin effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether oxytocin administration affects amygdala activity and its functional connectivity during dynamic facial expression perception. Using a between-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 55 participants were randomly assigned to groups receiving a single dose of 24 IU oxytocin or a placebo via intranasal administration. An implicit emotional task was employed to investigate the effect of oxytocin on neural responses to dynamic angry, neutral, and happy facial expressions with fMRI. Participants were instructed to respond only when the inverted dynamic faces were presented. The results indicated that oxytocin attenuated activation of insula and emotional processing-related regions (e.g., ACC, thalamus, and MFG) during the viewing of dynamic angry faces. However, functional connectivity between the regions involved in the perception of dynamic angry faces was not changed following oxytocin administration. The present findings may contribute to our understanding of the anxiolytic effects of oxytocin and eventually facilitate human clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxiao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210024, China
| | - Guangming Ran
- Institute of Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637002, China
| | - Na Hu
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Yuting Hu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Wenshuang Long
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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23
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Feng C, Qin L, Luo Y, Xu P. Intranasal vasopressin expedites dishonesty in women. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104843. [PMID: 32827501 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104843] [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: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
As an integral ingredient of human sociality, dishonesty can be both egocentric and altruistic, as well as gradually escalate. Here, we examined the influence of arginine vasopressin (AVP), a neuropeptide associated with human prosocial behaviors, on dishonest behaviors in men and women. In this double-blind and placebo-controlled study, 101 participants were randomized to administration of either 20 IU intranasal AVP or placebo. We used a two-party task to manipulate the incentive structure of dishonesty in the way of self-/other-serving repeatedly. For lies that benefit both themselves and others, women receiving intranasal AVP lied more than women receiving intranasal placebo and men receiving intranasal AVP. The dishonest behavior of women treated with AVP gradually escalated with repetition over time. These results suggest that AVP selectively regulates the escalation of dishonesty in women, contingent on the motivation of dishonesty. Our findings provide insight into gender-specific modulations of AVP on human dishonest behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China.
| | - Lili Qin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuejia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China; Great Bay Neuroscience and Technology Research Institute (Hong Kong), Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, China.
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24
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Harvey AR. Links Between the Neurobiology of Oxytocin and Human Musicality. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:350. [PMID: 33005139 PMCID: PMC7479205 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human species possesses two complementary, yet distinct, universal communication systems—language and music. Functional imaging studies have revealed that some core elements of these two systems are processed in closely related brain regions, but there are also clear differences in brain circuitry that likely underlie differences in functionality. Music affects many aspects of human behavior, especially in encouraging prosocial interactions and promoting trust and cooperation within groups of culturally compatible but not necessarily genetically related individuals. Music, presumably via its impact on the limbic system, is also rewarding and motivating, and music can facilitate aspects of learning and memory. In this review these special characteristics of music are considered in light of recent research on the neuroscience of the peptide oxytocin, a hormone that has both peripheral and central actions, that plays a role in many complex human behaviors, and whose expression has recently been reported to be affected by music-related activities. I will first briefly discuss what is currently known about the peptide’s physiological actions on neurons and its interactions with other neuromodulator systems, then summarize recent advances in our knowledge of the distribution of oxytocin and its receptor (OXTR) in the human brain. Next, the complex links between oxytocin and various social behaviors in humans are considered. First, how endogenous oxytocin levels relate to individual personality traits, and then how exogenous, intranasal application of oxytocin affects behaviors such as trust, empathy, reciprocity, group conformity, anxiety, and overall social decision making under different environmental conditions. It is argued that many of these characteristics of oxytocin biology closely mirror the diverse effects that music has on human cognition and emotion, providing a link to the important role music has played throughout human evolutionary history and helping to explain why music remains a special prosocial human asset. Finally, it is suggested that there is a potential synergy in combining oxytocin- and music-based strategies to improve general health and aid in the treatment of various neurological dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R Harvey
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
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25
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Neto ML, Antunes M, Lopes M, Ferreira D, Rilling J, Prata D. Oxytocin and vasopressin modulation of prisoner's dilemma strategies. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:891-900. [PMID: 32207359 PMCID: PMC7583454 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120913145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin have been repeatedly implicated in social decision making by enhancing social salience and, generally, cooperation. The iterated and sequential version of the prisoner's dilemma (PD) game is a social dilemma paradigm eliciting strategies of cooperation versus competition. AIMS We aimed to characterise the role of PD players' sex, game partner type (computer vs. human) and oxytocin or vasopressin inhalation on the player's strategy preference. METHODS Participants (153 men; 151 women) were randomised to intranasal 24 IU oxytocin, 20 IU vasopressin or placebo, double-blind, and played the PD. We examined main and interactive effects of sex, drug and partner type on strategy preference. RESULTS We found a pervasive preference for a tit-for-tat strategy (i.e. general sensitivity to the partner's choices) over unconditional cooperation, particularly when against a human rather than a computer partner. Oxytocin doubled this sensitivity in women (i.e. the preference for tit-for-tat over unconditional cooperation strategies) when playing against computers, which suggests a tendency to anthropomorphise them, and doubled women's unconditional cooperation preference when playing against humans. Vasopressin doubled sensitivity to the partner's previous choices (i.e. for tit-for-tat over unconditional cooperation) across sexes and partner types. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that women may be more sensitive to oxytocin's social effects of anthropomorphism of non-humans and of unconditional cooperation with humans, which may be consistent with evolutionary pressures for maternal care, and that vasopressin, irrespective of sex and partner type, may be generally sensitising humans to others' behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Leonor Neto
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marília Antunes
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações e Departamento de Estatística e Investigação Operacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Manuel Lopes
- INESC-ID, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Duarte Ferreira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - James Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Diana Prata
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisbon, Portugal
- Diana Prata, Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
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26
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Orihashi R, Mizoguchi Y, Imamura Y, Yamada S, Ueno T, Monji A. Oxytocin and elderly MRI-based hippocampus and amygdala volume: a 7-year follow-up study. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa081. [PMID: 32954331 PMCID: PMC7472904 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is deeply involved in human relations. In recent years, it is becoming clear that oxytocin is also involved in social cognition and social behaviour. Oxytocin receptors are also thought to be present in the hippocampus and amygdala, and the relationship between oxytocin and the structure and function of the hippocampus and amygdala has been reported. However, a few studies have investigated oxytocin and its relationship to hippocampus and amygdala volume in elderly people. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between serum oxytocin levels and hippocampus and amygdala volume in elderly people. The survey was conducted twice in Kurokawa-cho, Imari, Saga Prefecture, Japan, among people aged 65 years and older. We collected data from 596 residents. Serum oxytocin level measurements, brain MRI, Mini–Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating were performed in Time 1 (2009–11). Follow-up brain MRI, Mini–Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating were performed in Time 2 (2016–17). The interval between Time 1 and Time 2 was about 7 years. Fifty-eight participants (14 men, mean age 72.36 ± 3.41 years, oxytocin 0.042 ± 0.052 ng/ml; 44 women, mean age 73.07 ± 4.38 years, oxytocin 0.123 ± 0.130 ng/ml) completed this study. We analysed the correlation between serum oxytocin levels (Time 1) and brain volume (Time 1, Time 2 and Times 1–2 difference) using voxel-based morphometry implemented with Statistical Parametric Mapping. Analysis at the cluster level (family-wise error; P < 0.05) showed a positive correlation between serum oxytocin levels (Time 1) and brain volume of the region containing the left hippocampus and amygdala (Time 2). This result suggests that oxytocin in people aged 65 years and older may be associated with aging-related changes in hippocampus and amygdala volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuzo Orihashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga 849-8501, Japan
| | - Yoshito Mizoguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga 849-8501, Japan
| | - Yoshiomi Imamura
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga 849-8501, Japan
| | | | - Takefumi Ueno
- Division of Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization, Hizen Psychiatric Center, Kanzaki, Saga 842-0192, Japan
| | - Akira Monji
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga 849-8501, Japan
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27
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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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28
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Affective evaluation of others' altruistic decisions under risk and ambiguity. Neuroimage 2020; 218:116996. [PMID: 32470571 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Gratitude arises when one is the target of an altruistic decision, particularly when this decision incurs cost to the agent. Here we examined how individuals evaluate others' altruistic decisions under risky (uncertainty with known probabilities) and ambiguous (uncertainty with unknown probabilities) costs and respond with gratitude and reciprocity. Participants played an interactive game in an fMRI scanner in which they would receive painful electric shocks. An anonymous co-player either intentionally (Human conditions) or unintentionally (Computer conditions) decided whether to help the participant reduce half of the pain by undertaking an amount of pain (i.e., cost) with varying level of uncertainty (Certain vs. Risky vs. Ambiguous). Participants could then transfer monetary points to the co-player knowing that the co-player was unaware of this transfer. Behaviorally, monetary allocation and gratitude rating increased as the uncertainty level of cost increased in Human conditions; these effects were reduced in Computer conditions. The effect of cost uncertainty on gratitude was mediated by the perceived kind intention behind the help. FMRI revealed both shared and differential neurocognitive substrates for evaluating the benefactor's altruistic decisions under risk and ambiguity: both were associated with fear- and anxiety-related processes, involving right lateral orbitofrontal cortex and anterior insula; ambiguity additionally recruited mentalizing- and conflict monitoring-related processes, involving dorsal medial prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. These findings underscore the crucial role of social uncertainty perception in the generation of gratitude.
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29
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Bartz JA, Nitschke JP, Krol SA, Tellier PP. Oxytocin Selectively Improves Empathic Accuracy: A Replication in Men and Novel Insights in Women. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:1042-1048. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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30
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Pirrone F, Pierantoni L, Bossetti A, Uccheddu S, Albertini M. Salivary Vasopressin as A Potential Non-Invasive Biomarker of Anxiety in Dogs Diagnosed with Separation-Related Problems. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E1033. [PMID: 31779267 PMCID: PMC6941168 DOI: 10.3390/ani9121033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Physiological biomarkers of canine anxiety have not been extensively investigated to date. To identify new biomarkers in dogs, we compared behaviorally normal dogs (Control group, N = 13) to dogs diagnosed with separation problems (Case group, N = 13) as they were introduced into a novel environment in the presence of two strangers and subjected to a short episode of separation and reunion with the owner. During the separation phase, dogs in the Case group explored significantly less than controls and were significantly more persistent in expressing passive stress-coping strategies aimed at seeking proximity to their owners. When the owners returned, dogs with separation distress spent significantly more time jumping up on the strangers than control dogs did. Salivary oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations did not differ between samples taken before and after the separation. However, vasopressin concentrations immediately after separation were significantly higher in the Case than in the Control group and remained higher, although not significantly so, 10 minutes later. These results indicated that dogs with separation distress became more anxious than typical dogs when separated from their owner in an unfamiliar environment and provided preliminary support for the use of salivary vasopressin as a possible biomarker for anxiety-related responses in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Pirrone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.B.); (M.A.)
| | - Ludovica Pierantoni
- Veterinary Behaviour & Consulting Services at CAN Training Centre, 80128 Naples, Italy;
| | - Andrea Bossetti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.B.); (M.A.)
| | | | - Mariangela Albertini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.B.); (M.A.)
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31
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Kaur S, Maslov LN, Singh N, Jaggi AS. Dual role of T-type calcium channels in anxiety-related behavior. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2019; 31:/j/jbcpp.ahead-of-print/jbcpp-2019-0067/jbcpp-2019-0067.xml. [PMID: 31644427 DOI: 10.1515/jbcpp-2019-0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
T-type calcium channels are low voltage activated calcium channels that are widely expressed in various brain regions including stress-responsive regions. These channels regulate the diverse functions of the central nervous system, and modulation of these channels is shown to modulate the anxiety. Studies have described that modulation of T-type calcium channels may either aggravate or ameliorate anxiety-related behavior, suggesting the dual role of these channels. The studies employing animals with overexpression of T-type calcium channels reported their anxiety-inducing role. Therefore, the blockade of these channels using various pharmacological agents such as ethosuximide, plant extracts of linalool or rosemary, and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is reported to ameliorate anxiety. On the contrary, knockout of the gene encoding these channels predisposes the rodents to anxiety-related disorders, suggesting the anxiety-attenuating role of these channels. It may be possible that these channels in normal or basal state attenuate anxiety, whereas activation of these channels in stressful condition may produce anxiety. The present review describes the dual role of T-type calcium channels in anxiety-related behavior in both preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simranjot Kaur
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University Patiala, Patiala 147002, India
| | - Leonid N Maslov
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Institute of Cardiology, Tomsk 634012, Russia
| | - Nirmal Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University Patiala, Patiala 147002, India
| | - Amteshwar Singh Jaggi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University Patiala, Patiala 147002, India, Mobile: +919501016036
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32
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Kawada A, Nagasawa M, Murata A, Mogi K, Watanabe K, Kikusui T, Kameda T. Vasopressin enhances human preemptive strike in both males and females. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9664. [PMID: 31273244 PMCID: PMC6609689 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45953-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP), which is known to modulate a wide range of social behaviors in animals, has been identified as a modulator of various negative responses to social stimuli in humans. However, behavioral evidence directly supporting its involvement in human defensive aggression has been rare. We investigated the effect of intranasal AVP on defensive aggression in a laboratory experiment, using an incentivized economic game called the “preemptive strike game” (PSG). Participants played PSG individually (1 on 1) as well as in pairs (2 on 2) under either AVP or saline. We observed that exogenous but not basal AVP modulated the attack rate in PSG for both male and female participants. A model-based analysis of the aggregation of individual attack preferences into pair decisions revealed that the AVP effect on defensive aggression occurred mainly at the individual level and was not amplified at the pair level. Overall, these results present the first evidence that intranasal AVP promotes human defensive aggression for both males and females in a bilateral situation where each party can potentially damage the resources of the other party. These findings also parallel accumulating evidence from non-human animals concerning AVP’s involvement in territorial defense against potential intruders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Kawada
- Department of Social Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Aiko Murata
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan.,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Katsumi Watanabe
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.,Creative Robotics Lab, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kameda
- Department of Social Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan. .,Center for Experimental Research in Social Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan.
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33
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Wu X, Feng C, He Z, Gong X, Luo YJ, Luo Y. Gender-specific effects of vasopressin on human social communication: An ERP study. Horm Behav 2019; 113:85-94. [PMID: 31059697 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The quick and efficient perception of facial expressions represents a special and fundamental capacity of humans to engage in social communication. Here, we examined the effects of vasopressin (AVP, a neuropeptide) on the processing of same- and other-gender facial expressions among males and females. After receiving either AVP or placebo (PBO) intranasally in a randomized and double-blind manner, participants were asked to rate their approachability to facial expressions while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Males rated lower approachability scores to neutral and positive male faces relative to the scores to emotion-matched female faces after AVP but not following PBO administration. These behavioral effects were correlated with the AVP-induced increased P1 and decreased N170 responses to male faces among male participants. Females rated higher approachability scores to negative female faces than the scores to negative male faces after AVP but not following PBO treatment. These results suggest that AVP decreases friendly responses to neutral/positive male faces in males and increases friendly responses to negative female faces in females. Overall, these results demonstrate the gender-specific effects of AVP in response to same- and other-gender facial expressions, indicating there are sex- and context-dependent effects of AVP on socioemotional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wu
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sciences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenhong He
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Xu Gong
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sciences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sciences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China; Dept Psychology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yi Luo
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, USA
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Lu Q, Lai J, Du Y, Huang T, Prukpitikul P, Xu Y, Hu S. Sexual dimorphism of oxytocin and vasopressin in social cognition and behavior. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2019; 12:337-349. [PMID: 31191055 PMCID: PMC6529726 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s192951] [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: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) are hormones that are known to mediate social behavior and cognition, but their influence may be sex-dependent. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the sex-related influence of OT and VP on social cognition, focusing on partner preference and sexual orientation, trust and relevant behaviors, memory modulation, and emotion regulation. Most studies have suggested that OT facilitates familiar-partner preference in both sexes, with females being more significant, increased trust in others, especially for male, enhanced memory in either sex, and reduced anxious emotion in males. However, VP-regulated social cognition has been less studied. Other relevant studies have indicated that VP facilitated familiar-partner preference, improved memory, induced empathy formation, increased positive-emotion recognition, and induced anxiety without any sex difference. However, there was a male preponderance among studies, and results were often too complex to draw firm conclusions. Clarifying the interplay between OT/VP and sex hormones in the regulation of social cognition is necessary for further applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoqiao Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310003, People's Republic of China.,Department of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianbo Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310003, People's Republic of China.,Brain Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanli Du
- Department of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingting Huang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, People's Republic of China
| | - Pornkanok Prukpitikul
- Department of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310003, People's Republic of China.,Brain Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaohua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310003, People's Republic of China.,Brain Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, People's Republic of China
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35
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Smith MF, Leverett KL, Wilson BJ, Brosnan SF. Capuchin monkeys (
Sapajus
[
Cebus
]
apella
) play Nash equilibria in dynamic games, but their decisions are likely not influenced by oxytocin. Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e22973. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie F. Smith
- Department of Psychology Georgia State University Atlanta Georgia
- Language Research Center Georgia State University Atlanta Georgia
| | | | - Bart J. Wilson
- Economic Science Institute Chapman University Orange California
- Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy Chapman University Orange California
| | - Sarah F. Brosnan
- Department of Psychology Georgia State University Atlanta Georgia
- Language Research Center Georgia State University Atlanta Georgia
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience Georgia State University Atlanta Georgia
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience Georgia State University Atlanta Georgia
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36
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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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37
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Functional neuroanatomical review of the ventral tegmental area. Neuroimage 2019; 191:258-268. [PMID: 30710678 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.01.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) are assumed to play a key role in dopamine-related functions such as reward-related behaviour, motivation, addiction and motor functioning. Although dopamine-producing midbrain structures are bordering, they show significant differences in structure and function that argue for a distinction when studying the functions of the dopaminergic midbrain, especially by means of neuroimaging. First, unlike the SNc, the VTA is not a nucleus, which makes it difficult to delineate the structure due to lack of clear anatomical borders. Second, there is no consensus in the literature about the anatomical nomenclature to describe the VTA. Third, these factors in combination with limitations in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) complicate VTA visualization. We suggest that developing an MRI-compatible probabilistic atlas of the VTA will help to overcome these issues. Such an atlas can be used to identify the individual VTA and serve as region-of-interest for functional MRI.
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WU X, FENG C, XU J, HE Z, LUO Y, LUO Y. The Effects of vasopressin on human social behaviors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1042.2019.00811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Harper KM, Knapp DJ, Criswell HE, Breese GR. Vasopressin and alcohol: a multifaceted relationship. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:3363-3379. [PMID: 30392132 PMCID: PMC6286152 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5099-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Arginine vasopressin (VP) has been implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders with an emphasis on situations where stress increased the severity of the disorder. Based on this hypothesized role for VP in neuropsychiatric disorders, much research is currently being undertaken in humans and animals to test VP as a target for treatment of a number of these disorders including alcohol abuse. OBJECTIVES To provide a summary of the literature regarding the role of VP in alcohol- and stress-related behaviors including the use of drugs that target VP in clinical trials. RESULTS Changes in various components of the VP system occur with alcohol and stress. Manipulating VP or its receptors can alter alcohol- and stress-related behaviors including tolerance to alcohol, alcohol drinking, and anxiety-like behavior. Finally, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to alcohol is also altered by manipulating the VP system. However, clinical trials of VP antagonists have had mixed results. CONCLUSIONS A review of VP's involvement in alcohol's actions demonstrates that there is much to be learned about brain regions involved in VP-mediated effects on behavior. Thus, future work should focus on elucidating relevant brain regions. By using previous knowledge of the actions of VP and determining the brain regions and/or systems involved in its different behavioral effects, it may be possible to identify a specific receptor subtype target, drug treatment combination, or specific clinical contexts that may point toward a more successful treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Harper
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7178, Thurston Bowles Building, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA.
| | - Darin J Knapp
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7178, Thurston Bowles Building, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Hugh E Criswell
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7178, Thurston Bowles Building, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
| | - George R Breese
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7178, Thurston Bowles Building, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
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Rubin LH, Li S, Yao L, Keedy SK, Reilly JL, Hill SK, Bishop JR, Carter CS, Pournajafi-Nazarloo H, Drogos LL, Gershon E, Pearlson GD, Tamminga CA, Clementz BA, Keshavan MS, Lui S, Sweeney JA. Peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin modulates regional brain activity differently in men and women with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 202:173-179. [PMID: 30539769 PMCID: PMC6293995 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) exert sexually dimorphic effects on cognition and emotion processing. Abnormalities in these hormones are observed in schizophrenia and may contribute to multiple established sex differences associated with the disorder. Here we examined sex-dependent hormone associations with resting brain activity and their clinical associations in schizophrenia patients. METHODS OT and AVP serum concentrations were assayed in 35 individuals with schizophrenia (23 men) and 60 controls (24 men) from the Chicago BSNIP study site. Regional cerebral function was assessed with resting state fMRI by measuring the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) which are believed to reflect intrinsic spontaneous neuronal activity. RESULTS In female patients, lower OT levels were associated with lower ALFF in frontal and cerebellar cortices (p's < 0.05) and in female controls AVP levels were inversely associated with ALFF in the frontal cortex (p = 0.01). In male patients, lower OT levels were associated with lower ALFF in the posterior cingulate and lower AVP levels were associated with lower ALFF in frontal cortex (p's < 0.05). In male controls, lower OT levels were associated with lower ALFF in frontal cortex and higher ALFF in the thalamus (p's < 0.05). There were some inverse ALFF-behavior associations in patients. CONCLUSIONS Alterations in peripheral hormone levels are associated with resting brain physiology in a sex-dependent manner in schizophrenia. These effects may contribute to sex differences in psychiatric symptom severity and course of illness in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah H. Rubin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL,Departments of Neurology and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Siyi Li
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Yao
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sarah K. Keedy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - James L. Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Scot K. Hill
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL
| | - Jeffrey R. Bishop
- Departments of Pharmacy and Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | | | | | - Lauren L. Drogos
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elliot Gershon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Godfrey D. Pearlson
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Yale University and Olin Neuropsychiatric Research Center, Hartford, CT
| | - Carol A. Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | | | - Matcheri S. Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Su Lui
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
| | - John A. Sweeney
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China,Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati
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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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Song Z, Albers HE. Cross-talk among oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin receptors: Relevance for basic and clinical studies of the brain and periphery. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 51:14-24. [PMID: 29054552 PMCID: PMC5906207 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) act in the brain to regulate social cognition/social behavior and in the periphery to influence a variety of physiological processes. Although the chemical structures of OT and AVP as well as their receptors are quite similar, OT and AVP can have distinct or even opposing actions. Here, we review the increasing body of evidence that exogenously administered and endogenously released OT and AVP can activate each other's canonical receptors (i.e., cross-talk) and examine the possibility that receptor cross-talk following the synaptic and non-synaptic release of OT and AVP contributes to their distinct roles in the brain and periphery. Understanding the consequences of cross-talk between OT and AVP receptors will be important in identifying how these peptides control social cognition and behavior and for the development of drugs to treat a variety of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Song
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - H Elliott Albers
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
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43
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Geng Y, Zhao W, Zhou F, Ma X, Yao S, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin Facilitates Empathic- and Self-embarrassment Ratings by Attenuating Amygdala and Anterior Insula Responses. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:572. [PMID: 30356869 PMCID: PMC6190868 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin has been reported to enhance emotional empathy in association with reduced amygdala activation, although to date studies have not investigated empathy for individuals expressing self-conscious, moral emotions which engage mentalizing as well as emotion processing networks. In the current randomized, double-blind placebo controlled functional MRI experiment in 70 male and female subjects we have therefore investigated the effects of intranasal oxytocin (40 IU) on behavioral and neural responses to embarrassment experienced by others or by self. Results showed that oxytocin significantly increased ratings of both empathic and self-embarrassment and concomitantly decreased skin conductance response, activation in the right amygdala and insula but not in the medial prefrontal cortex. The amygdala effects of oxytocin were associated with the magnitude of the skin conductance response and trait anxiety scores. Overall our results demonstrate that oxytocin increases ratings of self- and other embarrassment and that this is associated with reduced physiological arousal and activity in neural circuits involved in emotional arousal. The neural effects of oxytocin were more pronounced stronger in individuals with high trait anxiety suggesting that it may particularly reduce their anxiety in embarrassing situations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Benjamin Becker
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M. Kendrick
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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44
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Wu X, Xu P, Luo YJ, Feng C. Differential Effects of Intranasal Vasopressin on the Processing of Adult and Infant Cues: An ERP Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:329. [PMID: 30158862 PMCID: PMC6104155 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a powerful regulator of various social behaviors across many species. However, seemingly contradictory effects of AVP have been found in both animal and human studies, e.g., promoting aggression on one hand and facilitating social bonding on the other hand. Therefore, we hypothesize that the role of AVP in social behaviors is context-dependent. To this end, we examined the modulatory effect of AVP on male’s behavioral and neural responses to infant and adult cues. After intranasal and double-blind treatment of AVP or placebo, male participants were asked to rate their subjective approaching willingness to infant and adult faces in specific contexts informed by cue words while EEG recording. Our results showed that AVP treatment increased approaching ratings to neutral and positive other-gender adult faces compared to emotional matched same-gender adult faces, and to negative girl faces compared to negative boy faces. Furthermore, compared to placebo treatment, AVP treatment induced larger N1 amplitudes to neutral cues associated with both adults and infants, whereas AVP treatment only sustained pronounced late positive potential amplitudes to neutral cues of infants but not adults. Those findings implicate differential roles of AVP in the processing of adult- and infant-related cues and thus lend support to the context-dependent account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wu
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sicences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sicences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sicences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunliang Feng
- College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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45
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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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46
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Geng Y, Zhao W, Zhou F, Ma X, Yao S, Hurlemann R, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin Enhancement of Emotional Empathy: Generalization Across Cultures and Effects on Amygdala Activity. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:512. [PMID: 30108475 PMCID: PMC6079225 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) can enhance empathy although it is unclear which specific behavioral and neural aspects are influenced, and whether the effects are modulated by culture, sex, and trait autism. Based on previous findings in Caucasian men, we hypothesized that a single intranasal dose of OXT would specifically enhance emotional empathy (EE) via modulatory effects on the amygdala in an Asian (Chinese) population and explored the modulatory role of sex and trait autism on the effects. We first conducted a double-blind, randomized between-subject design experiment using a modified version of the multifaceted empathy task to determine whether OXT’s facilitation of EE can be replicated in Chinese men (n = 60). To further explore neural mechanisms behind and potential sex differences, functional MRI and skin conductance measures were acquired in an independent experiment incorporating men and women (n = 72). OXT enhanced EE across experiments and sex, an effect that was accompanied by reduced amygdala activity and increased skin conductance responses. On the network level OXT enhanced functional coupling of the right amygdala with the insula and posterior cingulate cortex for positive valence stimuli but attenuated coupling for negative valence stimuli. The effect of OXT on amygdala functional connectivity with the insula was modulated by trait autism. Overall, our findings provide further support for the role of OXT in facilitating EE and demonstrate that effects are independent of culture and sex and involve modulatory effects on the amygdala and its interactions with other key empathy regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayuan Geng
- The Clinical Hospital of the 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 the 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 the 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 the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Rene Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of the 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 the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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47
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Oxytocin and vasopressin flatten dominance hierarchy and enhance behavioral synchrony in part via anterior cingulate cortex. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8201. [PMID: 29844336 PMCID: PMC5974023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25607-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) influence social functions in many mammals. In humans and rhesus macaques, OT delivered intranasally can promote prosocial behavior in certain contexts. Yet the precise neural mechanisms mediating these behavioral effects remain unclear. Here we show that treating a group of male macaque monkeys intranasally with aerosolized OT relaxes their spontaneous social interactions with other monkeys. OT reduces differences in social behavior between dominant and subordinate monkeys, thereby flattening the status hierarchy. OT also increases behavioral synchrony within a pair. Intranasal delivery of aerosolized AVP reproduces the effects of OT with greater efficacy. Remarkably, all behavioral effects are replicated when OT or AVP is injected focally into the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACCg), a brain area linked to empathy and other-regarding behavior. ACCg lacks OT receptors but is rich in AVP receptors, suggesting exogenous OT may shape social behavior, in part, via nonspecific binding. Notably, OT and AVP alter behaviors of both the treated monkey and his untreated partner, consistent with enhanced feedback through reciprocal social interactions. These findings bear important implications for use of OT in both basic research and as a therapy for social impairments in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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48
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Rogers CN, Ross AP, Sahu SP, Siegel ER, Dooyema JM, Cree MA, Stopa EG, Young LJ, Rilling JK, Albers HE, Preuss TM. Oxytocin- and arginine vasopressin-containing fibers in the cortex of humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22875. [PMID: 29797339 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) are involved in the regulation of complex social behaviors across a wide range of taxa. Despite this, little is known about the neuroanatomy of the OT and AVP systems in most non-human primates, and less in humans. The effects of OT and AVP on social behavior, including aggression, mating, and parental behavior, may be mediated primarily by the extensive connections of OT- and AVP-producing neurons located in the hypothalamus with the basal forebrain and amygdala, as well as with the hypothalamus itself. However, OT and AVP also influence social cognition, including effects on social recognition, cooperation, communication, and in-group altruism, which suggests connectivity with cortical structures. While OT and AVP V1a receptors have been demonstrated in the cortex of rodents and primates, and intranasal administration of OT and AVP has been shown to modulate cortical activity, there is to date little evidence that OT-and AVP-containing neurons project into the cortex. Here, we demonstrate the existence of OT- and AVP-containing fibers in cortical regions relevant to social cognition using immunohistochemistry in humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques. OT-immunoreactive fibers were found in the straight gyrus of the orbitofrontal cortex as well as the anterior cingulate gyrus in human and chimpanzee brains, while no OT-immunoreactive fibers were found in macaque cortex. AVP-immunoreactive fibers were observed in the anterior cingulate gyrus in all species, as well as in the insular cortex in humans, and in a more restricted distribution in chimpanzees. This is the first report of OT and AVP fibers in the cortex in human and non-human primates. Our findings provide a potential mechanism by which OT and AVP might exert effects on brain regions far from their production site in the hypothalamus, as well as potential species differences in the behavioral functions of these target regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina N Rogers
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Amy P Ross
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, Georgia.,Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Shweta P Sahu
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ethan R Siegel
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Mary Ann Cree
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Edward G Stopa
- Department of Pathology and Neurosurgery, The Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Larry J Young
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Atlanta, Georgia.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, Georgia.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Atlanta, Georgia.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - H Elliott Albers
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, Georgia.,Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Todd M Preuss
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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Rilling JK, Chen X, Chen X, Haroon E. Intranasal oxytocin modulates neural functional connectivity during human social interaction. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22740. [PMID: 29427292 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) modulates social behavior in primates and many other vertebrate species. Studies in non-primate animals have demonstrated that, in addition to influencing activity within individual brain areas, OT influences functional connectivity across networks of areas involved in social behavior. Previously, we used fMRI to image brain function in human subjects during a dyadic social interaction task following administration of either intranasal oxytocin (INOT) or placebo, and analyzed the data with a standard general linear model. Here, we conduct an extensive re-analysis of these data to explore how OT modulates functional connectivity across a neural network that animal studies implicate in social behavior. OT induced widespread increases in functional connectivity in response to positive social interactions among men and widespread decreases in functional connectivity in response to negative social interactions among women. Nucleus basalis of Meynert, an important regulator of selective attention and motivation with a particularly high density of OT receptors, had the largest number of OT-modulated connections. Regions known to receive mesolimbic dopamine projections such as the nucleus accumbens and lateral septum were also hubs for OT effects on functional connectivity. Our results suggest that the neural mechanism by which OT influences primate social cognition may include changes in patterns of activity across neural networks that regulate social behavior in other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Xiangchuan Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Ebrahim Haroon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
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Soutschek A, Weinreich A, Schubert T. Facial electromyography reveals dissociable affective responses in social and non-social cooperation. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-017-9662-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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