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Higgins WC, Kaplan DM, Deschrijver E, Ross RM. Construct validity evidence reporting practices for the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test: A systematic scoping review. Clin Psychol Rev 2024; 108:102378. [PMID: 38232573 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102378] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is one of the most influential measures of social cognitive ability, and it has been used extensively in clinical populations. However, questions have been raised about the validity of RMET scores. We conducted a systematic scoping review of the validity evidence reported in studies that administered the RMET (n = 1461; of which 804 included at least one clinical sample) with a focus on six key dimensions: internal consistency, test-retest reliability, factor structure, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and known group validity. Strikingly, 63% of these studies failed to provide validity evidence from any of these six categories. Moreover, when evidence was reported, it frequently failed to meet widely accepted validity standards. Overall, our results suggest a troubling conclusion: the validity of RMET scores (and the research findings based on them) are largely unsubstantiated and uninterpretable. More broadly, this project demonstrates how unaddressed measurement issues can undermine a voluminous psychological literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy C Higgins
- Macquarie University, School of Psychological Sciences, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - David M Kaplan
- Macquarie University, School of Psychological Sciences, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Eliane Deschrijver
- Macquarie University, School of Psychological Sciences, NSW 2109, Australia; University of Sydney, School of Psychology, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Robert M Ross
- Macquarie University, Department of Philosophy, NSW 2109, Australia
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2
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Straccia MA, Teed AR, Katzman PL, Tan KM, Parrish MH, Irwin MR, Eisenberger NI, Lieberman MD, Tabak BA. Null results of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on mentalizing in a large fMRI sample: evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med 2023; 53:2285-2295. [PMID: 37310308 PMCID: PMC10123837 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721004104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although potential links between oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (AVP), and social cognition are well-grounded theoretically, most studies have included all male samples, and few have demonstrated consistent effects of either neuropeptide on mentalizing (i.e. understanding the mental states of others). To understand the potential of either neuropeptide as a pharmacological treatment for individuals with impairments in social cognition, it is important to demonstrate the beneficial effects of OT and AVP on mentalizing in healthy individuals. METHODS In the present randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (n = 186) of healthy individuals, we examined the effects of OT and AVP administration on behavioral responses and neural activity in response to a mentalizing task. RESULTS Relative to placebo, neither drug showed an effect on task reaction time or accuracy, nor on whole-brain neural activation or functional connectivity observed within brain networks associated with mentalizing. Exploratory analyses included several variables previously shown to moderate OT's effects on social processes (e.g., self-reported empathy, alexithymia) but resulted in no significant interaction effects. CONCLUSIONS Results add to a growing literature demonstrating that intranasal administration of OT and AVP may have a more limited effect on social cognition, at both the behavioral and neural level, than initially assumed. Randomized controlled trial registrations: ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT02393443; NCT02393456; NCT02394054.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Straccia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adam R. Teed
- Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Perri L. Katzman
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin M. Tan
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael H. Parrish
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R. Irwin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Matthew D. Lieberman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin A. Tabak
- Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, USA
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3
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Pavlova MA, Sokolov AA. Reading language of the eyes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104755. [PMID: 35760388 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The need for assessment of social skills in clinical and neurotypical populations has led to the widespread, and still increasing use of the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test' (RMET) developed more than two decades ago by Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues for evaluation of social cognition in autism. By analyzing most recent clinical and brain imaging data, we illuminate a set of factors decisive for using the RMET. Converging evidence indicates: (i) In neurotypical individuals, RMET scores are tightly correlated with other social skills (empathy, emotional intelligence, and body language reading); (ii) The RMET assesses recognition of facial affect, but also heavily relies on receptive language skills, semantic knowledge, and memory; (iii) RMET performance is underwritten by the large-scale ensembles of neural networks well-outside the social brain; (iv) The RMET is limited in its capacity to differentiate between neuropsychiatric conditions as well as between stages and severity of a single disorder, though it reliably distinguishes individuals with altered social cognition or elevated pathological traits from neurotypical persons; (v) Merely gender (as a social construct) rather than neurobiological sex influences performance on the RMET; (vi) RMET scores do not substantially decline in healthy aging, and they are higher with higher education level, cognitive abilities, literacy, and mental well-being; (vii) Accuracy on the RMET, and engagement of the social brain, are greater when emotions are expressed and recognized by individuals with similar cultural/ethnic background. Further research is required to better inform usage of the RMET as a tool for swift and reliable examination of social cognition. In light of comparable visual input from the RMET images and faces covered by masks due to COVID-19 regulations, the analysis is of value for keeping efficient social interaction during the current pandemic, in particular, in professional settings related to social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Pavlova
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Menthal Health (TüCMH), Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Arseny A Sokolov
- Service de neuropsychologie et de neuroréhabilitation, Département des neurosciences cliniques, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Witte AM, de Moor MHM, Majdandžić M, Verhees MWFT, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on human fathers' sensitive and challenging parenting: A randomized within-subject controlled trial. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105175. [PMID: 35430502 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105175] [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: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject study examined the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin and vasopressin on fathers' sensitive and challenging parenting behaviors. Furthermore, we examined the moderating role of fathers' early childhood experiences. The sample consisted of 70 fathers with their 2- to 12-month-old infants. All fathers were assigned to each of the three experimental sessions (oxytocin, vasopressin, and placebo), on three separate days, with random order and intervening periods of one to two weeks. Sensitive and challenging parenting behaviors (CPB) were observed during a 10-minute free play task. Results showed no effects of vasopressin administration on paternal sensitivity. Fathers in the oxytocin condition were less sensitive than fathers in the placebo condition, and this effect was moderated by fathers' own childhood experiences: Fathers who reported higher levels of experienced parental love withdrawal were less sensitive in the oxytocin condition as compared to the placebo condition, whereas fathers with less experienced parental love withdrawal showed no difference in sensitivity between the oxytocin and placebo condition. No effects were found of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on fathers' CPB. Our results, although partly unexpected, are largely in line with previous literature showing that oxytocin administration can exert negative effects in individuals with adverse childhood experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Marleen H M de Moor
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mirjana Majdandžić
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Research Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, London, UK
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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5
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Intranasal Oxytocin Modulates the Salience Network in Aging. Neuroimage 2022; 253:119045. [PMID: 35259525 PMCID: PMC9450112 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence supports a role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in promoting social cognition and prosocial behavior, possibly via modulation of the salience of social information. The effect of intranasal oxytocin administration on the salience network, however, is not well understood, including in the aging brain. To address this research gap, 42 young (22.52 ± 3.02 years; 24 in the oxytocin group) and 43 older (71.12 ± 5.25 years; 21 in the oxytocin group) participants were randomized to either self-administer intranasal oxytocin or placebo prior to resting-state functional imaging. The salience network was identified using independent component analysis (ICA). Independent t-tests showed that individuals in the oxytocin compared to the placebo group had lower within-network resting-state functional connectivity, both for left amygdala (MNI coordinates: x = −18, y = 0, z = −15; corrected p < 0.05) within a more ventral salience network and for right insula (MNI coordinates: x = 39, y = 6, z = −6; corrected p < 0.05) within a more dorsal salience network. Age moderation analysis furthermore demonstrated that the oxytocin-reduced functional connectivity between the ventral salience network and the left amygdala was only present in older participants. These findings suggest a modulatory role of exogenous oxytocin on resting-state functional connectivity within the salience network and support age-differential effects of acute intranasal oxytocin administration on this network.
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Romero-Martínez Á, Sarrate-Costa C, Moya-Albiol L. A Systematic Review of the Role of Oxytocin, Cortisol, and Testosterone in Facial Emotional Processing. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1334. [PMID: 34943249 PMCID: PMC8698823 DOI: 10.3390/biology10121334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A topic of interest is the way decoding and interpreting facial emotional expressions can lead to mutual understanding. Facial emotional expression is a basic source of information that guarantees the functioning of other higher cognitive processes (e.g., empathy, cooperativity, prosociality, or decision-making, among others). In this regard, hormones such as oxytocin, cortisol, and/or testosterone have been found to be important in modifying facial emotion processing. In fact, brain structures that participate in facial emotion processing have been shown to be rich in receptors for these hormones. Nonetheless, much of this research has been based on correlational designs. In recent years, a growing number of researchers have tried to carry out controlled laboratory manipulation of these hormones by administering synthetic forms of these hormones. The main objective of this study was to carry out a systematic review of studies that assess whether manipulation of these three hormones effectively promotes significant alterations in facial emotional processing. To carry out this review, PRISMA quality criteria for reviews were followed, using the following digital databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, Dialnet, Psicodoc, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Library, and focusing on manuscripts with a robust research design (e.g., randomized, single- or double-blind, and/or placebo-controlled) to increase the value of this systematic review. An initial identification of 6340 abstracts and retrieval of 910 full texts led to the final inclusion of 101 papers that met all the inclusion criteria. Only about 18% of the manuscripts included reported a direct effect of hormone manipulation. In fact, emotional accuracy seemed to be enhanced after oxytocin increases, but it diminished when cortisol and/or testosterone increased. Nonetheless, when emotional valence and participants' gender were included, hormonal manipulation reached significance (in around 53% of the articles). In fact, these studies offered a heterogeneous pattern in the way these hormones altered speed processing, attention, and memory. This study reinforces the idea that these hormones are important, but not the main modulators of facial emotion processing. As our comprehension of hormonal effects on emotional processing improves, the potential to design good treatments to improve this ability will be greater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Romero-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Avenida Blasco Ibañez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (C.S.-C.); (L.M.-A.)
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Sabe M, Zhao N, Crippa A, Strauss GP, Kaiser S. Intranasal Oxytocin for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:601-614. [PMID: 33890987 PMCID: PMC8378078 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Negative symptoms are a core aspect of psychopathology in schizophrenia. Currently available pharmacological agents have proven minimally efficacious for remediating negative symptoms. A promising treatment avenue is the intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin. However, there have been inconsistencies in effects of oxytocin on negative symptoms throughout the literature, and factors leading to inconsistent effects are unclear. METHODS We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials to compare the effectiveness of oxytocin with placebo for the treatment of negative symptoms and determine moderators of treatment effect. Random effects meta-analyses and dose-response meta-analysis were performed on mean changes in negative symptoms. RESULTS In an initial analysis of all 9 identified randomized clinical trials, intranasal oxytocin showed no significant effect on negative symptoms. For higher doses (>40-80 IU), a beneficial effect on negative symptoms was found with a moderate effect size, but this effect disappeared after exclusion of 1 outlier study. The dose-response meta-analysis predicted that higher doses of oxytocin may be more efficacious for negative symptoms. For positive symptoms, no beneficial effect of oxytocin was found in the main meta-analysis, but the dose-response meta-analysis suggested a potential advantage of higher doses. CONCLUSIONS The present results show no consistent beneficial effect of intranasal oxytocin for the treatment of negative and positive symptoms. The dose-response meta-analysis does not allow drawing any firm conclusions but suggests that high doses of intranasal oxytocin may be more efficacious. If future studies are conducted, an effort to reach adequate CNS concentrations for a sufficient duration is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Sabe
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nan Zhao
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alessio Crippa
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm,Sweden
| | - Gregory P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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Zheng Y, Shi Y, Jia H, Gao S, Hu Z. Intranasal oxytocin enhances the perception of ambiguous averted gaze in women but not in men. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2021-2029. [PMID: 33754180 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05828-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perceiving accurately that others are looking away from us (averted gaze) is as important, for social interactions, as perceiving that others are looking at us (direct gaze). However, previous studies have revealed that when the deflection angle of averted gaze is small, individuals tend to falsely perceive it as direct gaze. Oxytocin (OXT) has been shown to increase orientation to the eye region. Therefore, a critical question is whether and how OXT would facilitate the perception of ambiguous averted gaze. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to measure the effects of OXT on the performance of males and females in distinguishing ambiguous averted gaze from direct gaze of different emotional faces. METHODS In a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover experiment, 48 participants were presented successively two emotional faces with direct gaze (defined as 0, indicating the center of the eye) or averted gaze (defined as ±4, indicating the corner of the eye; +4 means that the iris moves 4 steps to the right; and -4 means that the iris moves 4 steps to the left) following intranasal oxytocin or placebo treatment and asked to make judgments on whether or not the two faces were the same in terms of identity. The interference effect of gaze direction was calculated by subtracting the mean accuracy and reaction time in the congruent gaze condition from those in the incongruent gaze condition. The logic of the measurement was if intranasal OXT would facilitate the detection of ambiguous averted gaze, we would observe a larger interference effect in the gaze incongruent condition compared with the gaze congruent condition, leading to longer RT or/and lower accuracy for identification judgment in the gaze incongruent condition. RESULTS While there were no OXT effects in accuracy, we found a significant interaction between treatment, sex, and gaze congruency in reaction times. That is, following OXT as compared to placebo, women displayed stronger interference of gaze direction, whereas in men no significant difference was observed. Besides, this interaction did not vary across different emotional expressions. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide the first evidence for sex-dependent effects of OXT on the perception of ambiguous averted gaze. Given potential therapeutic applications of OXT to patients with developmental and psychiatric disorders, who are characterized as atypical in encoding gaze features, the findings suggest that rather different treatment outcomes could be anticipated in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zheng
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, 610068, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yahuan Shi
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, 610068, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Han Jia
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, 610068, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Gao
- School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, People's Republic of China. .,The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhonghua Hu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, 610068, Chengdu, People's Republic of China. .,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
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Ellis BJ, Horn AJ, Carter CS, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Developmental programming of oxytocin through variation in early-life stress: Four meta-analyses and a theoretical reinterpretation. Clin Psychol Rev 2021; 86:101985. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.101985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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10
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Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) has modulatory effects in both human behavior and in the brain, which is not limited in the specific brain area but also with the potential effect on connectivity with other brain regions. Evidence indicates that OT effects on human behavior are multifaceted, such as trust behavior, decrease anxiety, empathy and bonding behavior. For the vital role of mentalizing in understanding others, here we examine whether OT has a general effect on mentalizing brain network which is associated to the effect of related social behavioral and personality traits. Using a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled group design, we investigate the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging after intranasal OT or placebo. The functional connectivity (FC) maps with seed in left/right temporoparietal junction (lTPJ/rTPJ) showed that OT significantly increased connectivity between rTPJ and default attention network (DAN), but decreased the FC between lTPJ and medial prefrontal network (MPN). With machine learning approach, we report that identified altered FCs of TPJ can classify OT and placebo (PL) group. Moreover, individual's empathy trait can modulate the FC between left TPJ and right rectus (RECT), which shows a positive correlation with empathic concern in PL group but a negative correlation in OT group. These results demonstrate that OT has significant effect on FC with lTPJ and rTPJ, brain regions where are critical for mentalizing, and the empathy concern can modulate the FC. These findings advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms by which OT modulates social behaviors, especially in social interaction involving mentalizing.
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Le J, Kou J, Zhao W, Fu M, Zhang Y, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin Facilitation of Emotional Empathy Is Associated With Increased Eye Gaze Toward the Faces of Individuals in Emotional Contexts. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:803. [PMID: 32848571 PMCID: PMC7432151 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most robust effects of intranasal oxytocin treatment is its enhancement of emotional empathy responses across cultures to individuals displaying emotions in realistic contexts in the Multifaceted Empathy Task (MET). However, it is not established if this effect of oxytocin on emotional empathy is due to altered visual attention toward different components of the stimulus pictures or an enhanced empathic response. In the current randomized placebo-controlled within-subject experiment on 40 healthy male individuals, we both attempted a further replication of emotional empathy enhancement by intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) and used eye-tracking measures to determine if this was associated by altered visual attention toward different components of the picture stimuli (background context, human face, and body posture). Results replicated previous findings of enhanced emotional empathy in response to both negative and positive stimuli and that this was associated with an increased proportion of time viewing the faces of humans in the pictures and a corresponding decrease in that toward the rest of the body and/or background context. Overall, our findings suggest that enhanced emotional empathy following oxytocin administration is due to increased attention to the faces of others displaying emotions and away from other contextual and social cues. Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov Oxytocin Modulates Eye Gaze Behavior During Social Processing; registration ID: NCT03293511; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03293511.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Le
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Juan Kou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Meina Fu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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Schmidt A, Davies C, Paloyelis Y, Meyer N, De Micheli A, Ramella-Cravaro V, Provenzani U, Aoki Y, Rutigliano G, Cappucciati M, Oliver D, Murguia S, Zelaya F, Allen P, Shergill S, Morrison P, Williams S, Taylor D, Borgwardt S, Yamasue H, McGuire P, Fusar-Poli P. Acute oxytocin effects in inferring others' beliefs and social emotions in people at clinical high risk for psychosis. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:203. [PMID: 32572020 PMCID: PMC7308367 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00885-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social deficits are key hallmarks of the Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) state and of established psychotic disorders, and contribute to impaired social functioning, indicating a potential target for interventions. However, current treatments do not significantly ameliorate social impairments in CHR-P individuals. Given its critical role in social behaviour and cognition, the oxytocinergic (OT) system is a promising target for novel interventions in CHR-P subjects. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 30 CHR-P males were studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on two occasions, once after 40IU self-administered intranasal OT and once after placebo. A modified version of the Sally-Anne task was used to assess brain activation during inferring others' beliefs and social emotions. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test was acquired prior to the first scan to test whether OT effects were moderated by baseline social-emotional abilities. OT did not modulate behavioural performances but reduced activation in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus compared with placebo while inferring others' social emotions. Furthermore, the relationship between brain activation and task performance after OT administration was moderated by baseline social-emotional abilities. While task accuracy during inferring others' social emotion increased with decreasing activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus in CHR-P individuals with low social-emotional abilities, there was no such relationship in CHR-P individuals with high social-emotional abilities. Our findings may suggest that acute OT administration enhances neural efficiency in the inferior frontal gyrus during inferring others' social emotions in those CHR-P subjects with low baseline social-emotional abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Cathy Davies
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yannis Paloyelis
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nicholas Meyer
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrea De Micheli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Valentina Ramella-Cravaro
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Umberto Provenzani
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Yuta Aoki
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychosocial Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Grazia Rutigliano
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marco Cappucciati
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dominic Oliver
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Silvia Murguia
- Tower Hamlets Early Detection Service (THEDS), East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Fernando Zelaya
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Allen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Sukhi Shergill
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Morrison
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Steve Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David Taylor
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Outreach and Support in South London (OASIS) Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Outreach and Support in South London (OASIS) Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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13
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Lecompte V, Robins S, King L, Solomonova E, Khan N, Moss E, Nagy C, Feeley N, Gold I, Hayton B, Turecki G, Zelkowitz P. Examining the role of mother-child interactions and DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene in understanding child controlling attachment behaviors. Attach Hum Dev 2020; 23:37-55. [DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2019.1708422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Lecompte
- Institut Universitaire Jeunes en Difficulté, CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l’île-de-Montréal , Montreal, Canada
| | - S. Robins
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
| | - L. King
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | - E. Solomonova
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | - N. Khan
- Department of Medicine, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | - E. Moss
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal , Montréal, Canada
| | - C. Nagy
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute , Montreal, Canada
| | - N. Feeley
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
- Center for Nursing Research, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
- Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | - I. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
- Department of Philosophy, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | - B. Hayton
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | - G. Turecki
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute , Montreal, Canada
| | - P. Zelkowitz
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital , Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
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14
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Riem MME, Kunst LE, Bekker MHJ, Fallon M, Kupper N. Intranasal oxytocin enhances stress-protective effects of social support in women with negative childhood experiences during a virtual Trier Social Stress Test. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 111:104482. [PMID: 31677411 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin is considered a biological mechanism underlying stress-protective effects of positive social interactions. It is assumed to underlie the women-specific tend-and-befriend response to stress, although few studies have tested this assertion with female samples. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to test whether oxytocin enhances stress-protective effects of social support during stress in women, taking into account the moderating role of childhood adversity. The sample consisted of 180 female undergraduate students who had reported on experiences of childhood abuse and how often their mother used love withdrawal as an insensitive disciplinary strategy. Women participated in a virtual version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and were randomly assigned to receive 24 IU oxytocin or a placebo and to receive support or no support from a female friend (sub-groups N = 45). Results showed that oxytocin reduced heart rate variability during the TSST in participants who received support, possibly indicating that oxytocin increases attention and stimulates a challenge motivational state in the presence of a friend. In addition, we found that, in the presence of a friend, oxytocin reduced state anxiety levels and cortisol levels after the TSST, but only in women with higher levels of adverse childhood experiences. Our findings may indicate that oxytocin is a neurobiological means to attain and benefit from social support under stressful circumstances, which may be particularly adaptive for women with a history of adversity. Thus, oxytocin may function as motivator for affiliative disposition during stress exposure in women with a history of childhood adversity. Results should be replicated in clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M E Riem
- Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands; Clinical Child and Family Studies, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - L E Kunst
- Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - M H J Bekker
- Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M Fallon
- Business School, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - N Kupper
- Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
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15
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Oxytocin reduces interpersonal distance: Examining moderating effects of childrearing experiences and interpersonal context in virtual reality. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 108:102-109. [PMID: 31252303 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin has been shown to stimulate social approach behaviors, although effects may depend on contextual and individual difference factors. Here, we examined intranasal oxytocin effects on interpersonal distance using an immersive Virtual Reality paradigm, taking into account early caregiving experiences and interpersonal context as potential moderators. Participants were 180 women who received 24 IU oxytocin or a placebo and had reported how often their mother used love withdrawal as a disciplinary strategy, involving withholding love and affection after a failure or misbehavior. We used a virtual stop-distance paradigm, instructing participants to approach a virtual person or to stop an approaching virtual person at a preferred distance (passive approach). In order to examine the role of interpersonal context in shaping oxytocin effects, facial expressions and bodily gestures of the virtual person were manipulated. The person showed a dynamical expression of sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, or no emotional expression in six different emotion conditions. We found that oxytocin reduced interpersonal distance across the different emotion conditions, but only in individuals with lower levels of love withdrawal. In addition, oxytocin reduced anxiety levels during passive approach, in particular in the disgust condition, but only in individuals with lower levels of maternal disciplinary love withdrawal. Individuals with more love withdrawal experienced more anxiety while being approached by a virtual person displaying disgust or fear, but benefitted less from anxiety-reducing oxytocin effects. These results are consistent with previous research showing a dysregulated oxytocinergic system after childhood adversity and indicate that oxytocin may be less effective for individuals who are most in need of an intervention because of a problematic family background.
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16
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De Carli P, Costantini I, Sessa P, Visentin S, Pearson RM, Simonelli A. The expectant social mind: A systematic review of face processing during pregnancy and the effect of depression and anxiety. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 102:153-171. [PMID: 31055013 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy carries enormous changes in the psychological and neurophysiological domains. It has been suggested that pregnant women undergo a cognitive reorganization aimed at increasing the salience of social stimuli (i.e., the tendency of social cues to capture observer's attention, so that their processing results prioritized). The goal of the present work was to systematically review the empirical evidence of a change in face processing during pregnancy. Moreover, we explored whether face processing is associated with antenatal depression and anxiety and the extent to which this is part of a potential mechanism to explain detrimental effects of maternal psychopathology on infant outcomes. We identified 19 relevant studies and discussed them based on their methodological qualities. The results of the review suggest that even though it is not possible to draw firm conclusions, pregnancy is likely to be a plasticity window for face processing at the behavioral and neural levels. Evidence confirms the detrimental effect of depression and anxiety on face processing during pregnancy. Clinical implications for parenting interventions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro De Carli
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy.
| | - Ilaria Costantini
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy; Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS14 8TF, United Kingdom.
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy.
| | - Silvia Visentin
- Department of Woman and Child's Health, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova (PD), Italy.
| | - Rebecca M Pearson
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS14 8TF, United Kingdom.
| | - Alessandra Simonelli
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova (PD), Italy.
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17
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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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18
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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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19
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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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20
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Wang D, Yan X, Li M, Ma Y. Neural substrates underlying the effects of oxytocin: a quantitative meta-analysis of pharmaco-imaging studies. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 12:1565-1573. [PMID: 29048602 PMCID: PMC5647800 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OT) is crucial in social adaptation and used to treat emotional and social deficits. Here, we conducted a systematic, quantitative meta-analysis of functional-MRI studies intranasally administering OT (IN-OT) to uncover neural substrates underlying the IN-OT effects and to elucidate differential IN-OT effects between healthy and clinical populations. Meta-analyses were conducted on 66 IN-OT fMRI studies, stratified by psychopathology, valence and sex. IN-OT increased bilateral amygdala, caudate head, and superior temporal activity in healthy individuals and increased dorsal anterior cingulate activity in patients. Moreover, IN-OT decreased amygdala activity in both patients and healthy individuals but did so to a greater degree in patients than healthy individuals. The OT-increased amygdala activity was only found on the negative social and affective processes, whereas the OT-decreased amygdala activity was mainly contributed by contrasts on negative-valenced processes. IN-OT increased parahippocampal activity and decreased amygdala activity during negative socio-affective processing. During positive socio-affective processes, IN-OT increased caudate head activity. This study indicates convergent neural substrates and the underlying neuropsychological mechanisms for IN-OT effects on social and affective processes. The common and different effects of IN-OT on patients and healthy individuals and the modulation of OT effects by valence have critical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xinyuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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21
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Abstract
Oxytocin has been linked to many domains within the realm of "social cognition." For example, research has shown that oxytocin affects trusting behavior, cooperation, as well as the perception and processing of facial expressions. Furthermore, oxytocin increases empathy and seems to exert differential effects on in-group versus out-group preferences. However, there are some conflicting results that point towards a modulatory effect of oxytocin, depending on a variety of contextual and within-subject factors. Research about the underlying mechanisms (e.g., neural circuits and genetics) indicates that the modulation of amygdala activity by oxytocin is elementary for the understanding of social cognitive processes. As regards genetics, several variants of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) have been extensively studied in relation to social cognition. Taken together, oxytocin is an important modulator of social cognitive processes, although substantially more research is needed in order to understand the complexity of oxytocinergic effects on social perception, cognition, and interpersonal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Ebert
- LWL University Hospital Bochum, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Division of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatric Preventive Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Martin Brüne
- LWL University Hospital Bochum, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Division of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatric Preventive Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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22
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Szymanska M, Schneider M, Chateau-Smith C, Nezelof S, Vulliez-Coady L. Psychophysiological effects of oxytocin on parent-child interactions: A literature review on oxytocin and parent-child interactions. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2017; 71:690-705. [PMID: 28573830 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT), often called the 'hormone of love' or 'hormone of attachment,' plays a fundamental role in the establishment and quality of parent-infant bonding. However, emerging evidence indicates that OT can also produce antisocial behavior. To clarify these effects, we review studies examining the role of endogenous and exogenous OT on several determinants of attachment: parental sensitivity, and bonding or synchrony in parent-child dyads. Contextual and individual factors moderating the effect of intranasal OT and its peripheral levels are also reviewed. Finally, potential therapeutic applications for OT and current limitations in human OT research are examined. This systematic literature review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with two electronic databases and other bibliographic sources. We identified a total of 47 relevant studies for inclusion in our review. Most of the findings are in accordance with recent ideas that OT administration may increase parent-child prosocial interaction, showing that OT exerts beneficial effects on processes thought to promote bonding, sensitivity, and synchrony. However, we found that OT can induce antisocial behavior (e.g., anxiety) or adverse effects (modulation of maternal care recollections) that are moderated by different contextual (e.g., maltreatment level, presence of unfamiliar people) and individual (attachment style) factors. This review reinforces the importance of context- and individual-dependent factors, which must be taken into account when analyzing the psychophysiological effects of OT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Szymanska
- Science and Technology Department, Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, COMUE Burgundy, CHRU Besançon, France
| | - Marie Schneider
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Regional Hospital, Besançon, France
| | - Carmela Chateau-Smith
- Science and Technology Department, Training and Research Unit: Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, COMUE Burgundy, Dijon, France
| | - Sylvie Nezelof
- Science and Technology Department, Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, COMUE Burgundy, CHRU Besançon, France.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Regional Hospital, Besançon, France
| | - Lauriane Vulliez-Coady
- Science and Technology Department, Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, COMUE Burgundy, CHRU Besançon, France.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Regional Hospital, Besançon, France
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23
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Galbusera A, De Felice A, Girardi S, Bassetto G, Maschietto M, Nishimori K, Chini B, Papaleo F, Vassanelli S, Gozzi A. Intranasal Oxytocin and Vasopressin Modulate Divergent Brainwide Functional Substrates. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1420-1434. [PMID: 27995932 PMCID: PMC5436116 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP) have been identified as modulators of emotional social behaviors and associated with neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by social dysfunction. Experimental and therapeutic use of OXT and AVP via the intranasal route is the subject of extensive clinical research. However, the large-scale functional substrates directly engaged by these peptides and their functional dynamics remain elusive. By using cerebral blood volume (CBV) weighted fMRI in the mouse, we show that intranasal administration of OXT rapidly elicits the transient activation of cortical regions and a sustained activation of hippocampal and forebrain areas characterized by high oxytocin receptor density. By contrast, intranasal administration of AVP produced a robust and sustained deactivation in cortico-parietal, thalamic and mesolimbic regions. Importantly, intravenous administration of OXT and AVP did not recapitulate the patterns of modulation produced by intranasal dosing, supporting a central origin of the observed functional changes. In keeping with this notion, hippocampal local field potential recordings revealed multi-band power increases upon intranasal OXT administration. We also show that the selective OXT-derivative TGOT reproduced the pattern of activation elicited by OXT and that the deletion of OXT receptors does not affect AVP-mediated deactivation. Collectively, our data document divergent modulation of brainwide neural systems by intranasal administration of OXT and AVP, an effect that involves key substrates of social and emotional behavior. The observed divergence calls for a deeper investigation of the systems-level mechanisms by which exogenous OXT and AVP modulate brain function and exert their putative therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto (TN), Italy
| | - Alessia De Felice
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto (TN), Italy
| | - Stefano Girardi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giacomo Bassetto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marta Maschietto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Bice Chini
- CNR, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy,Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto (TN), Italy,Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto (TN) 38068, Italy, Tel: +39 04648028701, E-mail:
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Sippel LM, Allington CE, Pietrzak RH, Harpaz-Rotem I, Mayes LC, Olff M. Oxytocin and Stress-related Disorders: Neurobiological Mechanisms and Treatment Opportunities. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2017; 1:2470547016687996. [PMID: 28649672 PMCID: PMC5482285 DOI: 10.1177/2470547016687996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Novel pharmacotherapies that improve outcomes for individuals with stress-related psychiatric disorders are needed. The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) is a promising candidate given its influence on the social-emotional brain. In this review, we present an overview of evidence supporting OT's utility for treating major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. We first discuss endogenous OT, which research suggests is not yet a reliable biomarker of stress-related disorders. Second, we review effects of intranasal (IN) OT on processes relevant to stress-related disorders in healthy populations (anhedonia, reward processing, psychosocial stress reactivity, fear/anxiety, and social behavior) and their neurobiological mechanisms (e.g., the salience network and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). Third, we present the sparse but promising findings from clinical populations, followed by discussion of critical moderating variables to consider in the service of maximizing the therapeutic potential of OT (e.g., patient sex and child maltreatment). We also identify heterogeneous findings and limitations of existing research, including reliance on single-dose studies in psychiatrically healthy samples and unanswered questions regarding the effectiveness of IN drug delivery and dosing schedules. Well-controlled multidose studies including women and measures of potentially moderating variables are sorely needed and would inform our understanding of the utility of OT for preventing and treating stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Sippel
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Robert H. Pietrzak
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Miranda Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic
Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen,
The Netherlands
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25
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Distinct oxytocin effects on belief updating in response to desirable and undesirable feedback. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:9256-61. [PMID: 27482087 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604285113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans update their beliefs upon feedback and, accordingly, modify their behaviors to adapt to the complex, changing social environment. However, people tend to incorporate desirable (better than expected) feedback into their beliefs but to discount undesirable (worse than expected) feedback. Such optimistic updating has evolved as an advantageous mechanism for social adaptation. Here, we examine the role of oxytocin (OT)-an evolutionary ancient neuropeptide pivotal for social adaptation-in belief updating upon desirable and undesirable feedback in three studies (n = 320). Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled between-subjects design, we show that intranasally administered OT (IN-OT) augments optimistic belief updating by facilitating updates of desirable feedback but impairing updates of undesirable feedback. The IN-OT-induced impairment in belief updating upon undesirable feedback is more salient in individuals with high, rather than with low, depression or anxiety traits. IN-OT selectively enhances learning rate (the strength of association between estimation error and subsequent update) of desirable feedback. IN-OT also increases participants' confidence in their estimates after receiving desirable but not undesirable feedback, and the OT effect on confidence updating upon desirable feedback mediates the effect of IN-OT on optimistic belief updating. Our findings reveal distinct functional roles of OT in updating the first-order estimation and second-order confidence judgment in response to desirable and undesirable feedback, suggesting a molecular substrate for optimistic belief updating.
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26
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Oxytocin and Social Adaptation: Insights from Neuroimaging Studies of Healthy and Clinical Populations. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:133-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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27
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Radke S, de Bruijn ERA. Does oxytocin affect mind-reading? A replication study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 60:75-81. [PMID: 26142239 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
One of the most well-known findings in human oxytocin research is its beneficial effect on "mind-reading", i.e., inferring others' mental states just from the eye region in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Previous studies have partially confirmed these improvements and have further shown that they depend both on baseline social-emotional abilities and on specific item characteristics such as difficulty. Following the original design of Domes et al. (2007), the aim of the current study was to replicate and extend previous findings by thoroughly investigating the impact of oxytocin administration on RMET performance. We tested for potential moderation effects involving item difficulty, valence, intensity, sex of poser as well as individual differences in trait empathy measured with the Empathy Quotient (EQ) for a general score and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) for a multidimensional assessment of cognitive and emotional empathy. Oxytocin did not affect mind-reading, neither in general nor when considering specific item characteristics. An association between oxytocin-induced changes in RMET performance and emotional empathy (the empathic concern scale of the IRI) was evident, with individuals low in emotional empathy showing greater improvement after oxytocin administration compared to placebo. The reproducibility and variability of these and prior findings needs to be addressed in future experiments. As true effects may not replicate across different studies for various reasons, this should not discourage, but encourage further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Radke
- RWTH Aachen, Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Aachen, Germany; Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) - Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich/Aachen, Germany.
| | - Ellen R A de Bruijn
- Leiden University, Department of Clinical Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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28
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Baribeau DA, Anagnostou E. Oxytocin and vasopressin: linking pituitary neuropeptides and their receptors to social neurocircuits. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:335. [PMID: 26441508 PMCID: PMC4585313 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin and vasopressin are pituitary neuropeptides that have been shown to affect social processes in mammals. There is growing interest in these molecules and their receptors as potential precipitants of, and/or treatments for, social deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Numerous behavioral-genetic studies suggest that there is an association between these peptides and individual social abilities; however, an explanatory model that links hormonal activity at the receptor level to complex human behavior remains elusive. The following review summarizes the known associations between the oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptide systems and social neurocircuits in the brain. Following a micro- to macro- level trajectory, current literature on the synthesis and secretion of these peptides, and the structure, function and distribution of their respective receptors is first surveyed. Next, current models regarding the mechanism of action of these peptides on microcircuitry and other neurotransmitter systems are discussed. Functional neuroimaging evidence on the acute effects of exogenous administration of these peptides on brain activity is then reviewed. Overall, a model in which the local neuromodulatory effects of pituitary neuropeptides on brainstem and basal forebrain regions strengthen signaling within social neurocircuits proves appealing. However, these findings are derived from animal models; more research is needed to clarify the relevance of these mechanisms to human behavior and treatment of social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Autism Research Centre, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Toronto, ON, Canada
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29
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Andari E. Editorial: Oxytocin's routes in social behavior: into the 21st century. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:224. [PMID: 26379517 PMCID: PMC4548180 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elissar Andari
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
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30
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Baron-Cohen S, Bowen DC, Holt RJ, Allison C, Auyeung B, Lombardo MV, Smith P, Lai MC. The "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test: Complete Absence of Typical Sex Difference in ~400 Men and Women with Autism. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136521. [PMID: 26313946 PMCID: PMC4552377 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test (Eyes test) is an advanced test of theory of mind. Typical sex difference has been reported (i.e., female advantage). Individuals with autism show more difficulty than do typically developing individuals, yet it remains unclear how this is modulated by sex, as females with autism have been under-represented. Here in a large, non-male-biased sample we test for the effects of sex, diagnosis, and their interaction. The Eyes test (revised version) was administered online to 395 adults with autism (178 males, 217 females) and 320 control adults (152 males, 168 females). Two-way ANOVA showed a significant sex-by-diagnosis interaction in total correct score (F(1,711) = 5.090, p = 0.024, ηp2 = 0.007) arising from a significant sex difference between control males and females (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.47), and an absence of a sex difference between males and females with autism (p = 0.907, d = 0.01); significant case-control differences were observed across sexes, with effect sizes of d = 0.35 in males and d = 0.69 in females. Group-difference patterns fit with the extreme-male-brain (EMB) theory predictions. Eyes test-Empathy Quotient and Eyes test-Autism Spectrum Quotient correlations were significant only in females with autism (r = 0.35, r = -0.32, respectively), but not in the other 3 groups. Support vector machine (SVM) classification based on response pattern across all 36 items classified autism diagnosis with a relatively higher accuracy for females (72.2%) than males (65.8%). Nevertheless, an SVM model trained within one sex generalized equally well when applied to the other sex. Performance on the Eyes test is a sex-independent phenotypic characteristic of adults with autism, reflecting sex-common social difficulties, and provides support for the EMB theory predictions for both males and females. Performance of females with autism differed from same-sex controls more than did that of males with autism. Females with autism also showed stronger coherence between self-reported dispositional traits and Eyes test performance than all other groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- CLASS Clinic, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (SB-C); (M-CL)
| | - Daniel C. Bowen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rosemary J. Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology and Center of Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Paula Smith
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- CLASS Clinic, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (SB-C); (M-CL)
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31
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Zelkowitz P, Gold I, Feeley N, Hayton B, Carter CS, Tulandi T, Abenhaim HA, Levin P. Psychosocial stress moderates the relationships between oxytocin, perinatal depression, and maternal behavior. Horm Behav 2014; 66:351-60. [PMID: 24956026 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The hormone oxytocin (OT) is of particular interest in the study of childbearing women, as it has a role in the onset and course of labor and breastfeeding. Recent research has linked OT to maternal caregiving behavior towards her infant, and to postpartum depressive symptomatology. There is also evidence that psychosocial adversity affects the oxytocin system. The present study investigated the relationship of endogenous OT in women during pregnancy and at 8weeks postpartum to psychosocial stress, maternal symptoms of depression, and maternal sensitive behavior. It was hypothesized that OT would mediate the effects of maternal depressive symptoms on maternal interactive behavior. We also tested the hypothesis that psychosocial stress would moderate the relationship between OT and maternal depressive symptoms and sensitive behavior. A community sample of 287 women was assessed at 12-14weeks of gestation, 32-34weeks of gestation, and 7-9weeks postpartum. We measured plasma OT, maternal symptoms of depression and psychosocial stress. At the postpartum home visit, maternal behavior in interaction with the infant was videotaped, and then coded to assess sensitivity. In the sample as a whole, OT was not related to maternal depressive symptoms or to sensitive maternal behavior. However, among women who reported high levels of psychosocial stress, higher levels of plasma OT were associated with fewer depressive symptoms and more sensitive maternal behavior. These results suggest that endogenous OT may act as a buffer against the deleterious effects of stress, thereby protecting high risk women from developing depressive symptoms and promoting more sensitive maternal interactive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phyllis Zelkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Ian Gold
- Department of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nancy Feeley
- Centre for Nursing Research, McGill University, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Barbara Hayton
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - C Sue Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Togas Tulandi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Haim A Abenhaim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Pavel Levin
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Nursing Research, McGill University, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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32
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Bhandari R, van der Veen R, Parsons CE, Young KS, Voorthuis A, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Stein A, Kringelbach ML, van IJzendoorn MH. Effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on memory for infant cues: Moderation by childhood emotional maltreatment. Soc Neurosci 2014; 9:536-47. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2014.932307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Voorthuis A, Riem MME, Van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Reading the mind in the infant eyes: paradoxical effects of oxytocin on neural activity and emotion recognition in watching pictures of infant faces. Brain Res 2013; 1580:151-9. [PMID: 24184576 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 10/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin facilitates parental caregiving and is involved in the processing of infant vocal cues. In this randomized-controlled trial with functional magnetic resonance imaging we examined the influence of intranasally administered oxytocin on neural activity during emotion recognition in infant faces. Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses during emotion recognition were measured in 50 women who were administered 16 IU of oxytocin or a placebo. Participants performed an adapted version of the Infant Facial Expressions of Emotions from Looking at Pictures (IFEEL pictures), a task that has been developed to assess the perception and interpretation of infants' facial expressions. Experimentally induced oxytocin levels increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and the superior temporal gyrus (STG). However, oxytocin decreased performance on the IFEEL picture task. Our findings suggest that oxytocin enhances processing of facial cues of the emotional state of infants on a neural level, but at the same time it may decrease the correct interpretation of infants' facial expressions on a behavior level. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Voorthuis
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H Van IJzendoorn
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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