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Santiago AF, Kosilo M, Cogoni C, Diogo V, Jerónimo R, Prata D. Oxytocin modulates neural activity during early perceptual salience attribution. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 161:106950. [PMID: 38194846 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106950] [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: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Leading hypotheses of oxytocin's (OT) role in human cognition posit that it enhances salience attribution. However, whether OT exerts its effects predominantly in social (vs non-social) contexts remains debatable, and the time-course of intranasal OT's effects' on salience attribution processing is still unknown. We used the social Salience Attribution Task modified (sSAT) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled intranasal OT (inOT) administration, between-subjects design, with 54 male participants, to test existing theories of OT's role in cognition. Namely, we aimed to test whether inOT would differently affect salience attribution processing of social stimuli (expressing fearfulness) and non-social stimuli (fruits) made relevant via monetary reinforcement, and its neural processing time-course. During electroencephalography (EEG) recording, participants made speeded responses to emotional social (fearful faces) and non-emotional non-social (fruits) stimuli - which were matched for task-relevant motivational salience through their (color-dependent) probability of monetary reinforcement. InOT affected early (rather than late, P3b and LPP) EEG components, increasing N170 amplitude (p = .041) and P2b latency (p .001; albeit not of P1), regardless of stimuli's (emotional) socialness or reinforcement probability. Fear-related socialness affected salience attribution processing EEG (p .05) across time (N170, P2b and P3b), being later modulated by reinforcement probability (LPP). Our data suggest that OT's effects on neural activity during early perception, may exist irrespective of fear-related social- or reward-contexts. This partially supports the tri-phasic model of OT (which posits OT enhances salience attribution in an early perception stage regardless of socialness), and not the social salience nor the general approach-withdrawal hypotheses of OT, for early salience processing event-related potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia F Santiago
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; William James Center for Research, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maciej Kosilo
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carlotta Cogoni
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Vasco Diogo
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL), CIS_Iscte, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Jerónimo
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL), CIS_Iscte, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Diana Prata
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
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2
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Lotfinia S, Afshar A, Yaseri A, Olff M, Quidé Y. Functional brain changes after alternative pharmacological interventions in posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review of clinical trials. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3292. [PMID: 37864378 PMCID: PMC10726808 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3292] [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: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex and heterogeneous mental health condition that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event. Clinical trials have used alternative pharmacological agents to treat PTSD, but their associated neural correlates remain unclear. The present systematic review aims to summarize the changes in brain function associated with the use of these alternative pharmacological agents in PTSD. METHODS Clinical trials using functional magnetic resonance imaging, either at rest or during the performance of tasks, were included if they compared the effects of alternative pharmacological agents between PTSD patients and either trauma-exposed controls or never-exposed healthy controls. RESULTS Sixteen studies were included, of which 11 used intranasal oxytocin, 2 used hydrocortisone, and 3 used delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Oxytocin administration was associated with the normalization of functional connectivity between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and amygdala as well as enhanced the function of brain regions specifically involved in emotion processing (e.g., amygdala), working memory (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), and reward (e.g., putamen). Hydrocortisone did not influence brain function at rest or during the performance of an autobiographical memory task, whereas THC was associated with the reduction of the amygdala and increased medial prefrontal cortex activation. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review identified preliminary evidence for normalizing brain function after the use of alternative pharmacological agents. Importantly, sex-specific differences were noted, in particular when using oxytocin, that will require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahab Lotfinia
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of MedicineShahid Beheshti University of Medical ScienceTehranIran
| | - Amin Afshar
- Faculty of MedicineQazvin University of Medical ScienceQazvinIran
| | - Aram Yaseri
- School of MedicineShahid Beheshti University of Medical ScienceTehranIran
| | - Miranda Olff
- Department of PsychiatryAmsterdam University Medical Centers Location AMC, Amsterdam Public HealthAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- ARQ National Psychotrauma CentreDiemenThe Netherlands
| | - Yann Quidé
- NeuroRecovery Research Hub, School of PsychologyThe University of New South Wales (UNSW) SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaRandwickNew South WalesAustralia
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3
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Bennett MM, Davis KE, Fitzgerald JM. Neural Correlates of Reward Processing in the Onset, Maintenance, and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:884-890. [PMID: 37263417 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent, debilitating, and heterogeneous psychiatric condition marked by both exaggerated threat responding and diminished positive affect. While symptom profiles of PTSD differ across individuals, symptoms also vary within individuals over the course of illness. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have provided crucial insights into the neurobiology of heightened threat responsivity in PTSD, which has aided in identifying neurobiological risk factors and treatment targets for this disorder. Despite this demonstrated utility, the application of functional magnetic resonance imaging to understanding deficits in reward responsivity in PTSD remains underexplored. Significantly, over 60% of individuals with PTSD experience anhedonia, or an inability to feel pleasure, which may reflect reward processing deficits. To better understand the neural underpinnings of reward deficits and their relevance to the onset, maintenance, and treatment of PTSD, we reviewed the functional magnetic resonance imaging literature through the framework of disease prognosis. Here, we provide insights on whether reward deficits are central to PTSD or are better explained by comorbid major depressive disorder, and we clarify how reward-related deficiencies in PTSD fit into the context of more intensely studied threat-related deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan M Bennett
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
| | - Kaley E Davis
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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4
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Bose M, Farias Quipildor G, Ehrlich ME, Salton SR. Intranasal Peptide Therapeutics: A Promising Avenue for Overcoming the Challenges of Traditional CNS Drug Development. Cells 2022; 11:cells11223629. [PMID: 36429060 PMCID: PMC9688574 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) has, among all organ systems in the human body, the highest failure rate of traditional small-molecule drug development, ranging from 80-100% depending on the area of disease research. This has led to widespread abandonment by the pharmaceutical industry of research and development for CNS disorders, despite increased diagnoses of neurodegenerative disorders and the continued lack of adequate treatment options for brain injuries, stroke, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neuropsychiatric illness. However, new approaches, concurrent with the development of sophisticated bioinformatic and genomic tools, are being used to explore peptide-based therapeutics to manipulate endogenous pathways and targets, including "undruggable" intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs). The development of peptide-based therapeutics was previously rejected due to systemic off-target effects and poor bioavailability arising from traditional oral and systemic delivery methods. However, targeted nose-to-brain, or intranasal (IN), approaches have begun to emerge that allow CNS-specific delivery of therapeutics via the trigeminal and olfactory nerve pathways, laying the foundation for improved alternatives to systemic drug delivery. Here we review a dozen promising IN peptide therapeutics in preclinical and clinical development for neurodegenerative (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's), neuropsychiatric (depression, PTSD, schizophrenia), and neurodevelopmental disorders (autism), with insulin, NAP (davunetide), IGF-1, PACAP, NPY, oxytocin, and GLP-1 agonists prominent among them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Bose
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Gabriela Farias Quipildor
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Michelle E. Ehrlich
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Stephen R. Salton
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-212-824-9308
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Doppler CEJ, Meyer L, Seger A, Karges W, Weiss PH, Fink GR. Intranasal oxytocin attenuates the effects of monetary feedback on procedural learning. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 143:105823. [PMID: 35689985 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105823] [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: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Procedural learning is a vital brain function that allows us to acquire motor skills during development or re-learn them after lesions affecting the motor system. Procedural learning can be improved by feedback of different valence, e.g., monetary or social, mediated by dopaminergic circuits. While processing motivationally relevant stimuli, dopamine interacts closely with oxytocin, whose effects on procedural learning, particularly feedback-based approaches, remain poorly understood. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we investigated whether oxytocin modulates the differential effects of monetary and social feedback on procedural learning. Sixty-one healthy male participants were randomized to receive a placebo or oxytocin intranasally. The participants then performed a modified serial reaction time task. Oxytocin plasma concentrations were measured before and after applying the placebo or verum. Groups did not differ regarding general reaction times or measures of procedural learning. For the placebo group, monetary feedback improved procedural learning compared to a neutral control condition. In contrast, the oxytocin group did not show a differential effect of monetary or social feedback despite a significant increase in oxytocin plasma levels after intranasal application. The data suggest that oxytocin does not influence procedural learning per se. Instead, oxytocin seems to attenuate the effects of monetary feedback on procedural learning specifically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E J Doppler
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Germany.
| | - Linda Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Alexius/Josef Hospital, Neuss, Germany
| | - Aline Seger
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Germany
| | - Wolfram Karges
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Peter H Weiss
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Germany
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6
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Marazziti D, Diep PT, Carter S, Carbone MG. Oxytocin: An Old Hormone, A Novel Psychotropic Drug And Possible Use In Treating Psychiatric Disorders. Curr Med Chem 2022; 29:5615-5687. [PMID: 35894453 DOI: 10.2174/0929867329666220727120646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxytocin is a nonapeptide synthesized in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Historically, this molecule has been involved as a key factor in the formation of infant attachment, maternal behavior and pair bonding and, more generally, in linking social signals with cognition, behaviors and reward. In the last decades, the whole oxytocin system has gained a growing interest as it was proposed to be implicated in etiopathogenesis of several neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. METHODS With the main goal of an in-depth understanding of the oxytocin role in the regulation of different functions and complex behaviors as well as its intriguing implications in different neuropsychiatric disorders, we performed a critical review of the current state of art. We carried out this work through PubMed database up to June 2021 with the search terms: 1) "oxytocin and neuropsychiatric disorders"; 2) "oxytocin and neurodevelopmental disorders"; 3) "oxytocin and anorexia"; 4) "oxytocin and eating disorders"; 5) "oxytocin and obsessive-compulsive disorder"; 6) "oxytocin and schizophrenia"; 7) "oxytocin and depression"; 8) "oxytocin and bipolar disorder"; 9) "oxytocin and psychosis"; 10) "oxytocin and anxiety"; 11) "oxytocin and personality disorder"; 12) "oxytocin and PTSD". RESULTS Biological, genetic, and epigenetic studies highlighted quality and quantity modifications in the expression of oxytocin peptide or in oxytocin receptor isoforms. These alterations would seem to be correlated with a higher risk of presenting several neuropsychiatric disorders belonging to different psychopathological spectra. Collaterally, the exogenous oxytocin administration has shown to ameliorate many neuropsychiatric clinical conditions. CONCLUSION Finally, we briefly analyzed the potential pharmacological use of oxytocin in patient with severe symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and immunoregulatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Marazziti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy.,Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Phuoc-Tan Diep
- Department of Histopathology, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Sue Carter
- Director Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Manuel G Carbone
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Division of Psychiatry, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
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7
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Hoffman SN, Lyons RC, Stein MB, Taylor CT, Norman SB. Changes in positive and negative affect following prolonged exposure for PTSD comorbid with alcohol use disorder: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Behav Res Ther 2022; 155:104097. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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8
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Upadhyay J, Verrico CD, Cay M, Kodele S, Yammine L, Koob GF, Schreiber R. Neurocircuitry basis of the opioid use disorder-post-traumatic stress disorder comorbid state: conceptual analyses using a dimensional framework. Lancet Psychiatry 2022; 9:84-96. [PMID: 34774203 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(21)00008-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the interface between opioid use disorder (OUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is challenging. By use of a dimensional framework, such as research domain criteria, convergent and targetable neurobiological processes in OUD-PTSD comorbidity can be identified. We hypothesise that, in OUD-PTSD, circuitry that is implicated in two research domain criteria systems (ie, negative valence and cognitive control) underpins dysregulation of incentive salience, negative emotionality, and executive function. We also propose that the OUD-PTSD state might be systematically investigated with approaches outlined within a neuroclinical assessment framework for addictions and PTSD. Our dimensional analysis of the OUD-PTSD state shows how first-line therapeutic approaches (ie, partial μ-type opioid receptor [MOR1] agonism) modulate overlapping neurobiological and clinical features and also provides mechanistic rationale for evaluating polytherapeutic strategies (ie, partial MOR1 agonism, κ-type opioid receptor [KOR1] antagonism, and α-2A adrenergic receptor [ADRA2A] agonism). A combination of these therapeutic mechanisms is projected to facilitate recovery in patients with OUD-PTSD by mitigating negative valence states and enhancing executive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaymin Upadhyay
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.
| | - Christopher D Verrico
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mariesa Cay
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Sanda Kodele
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Section Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Luba Yammine
- Louis A Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rudy Schreiber
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Section Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Vinograd M, Stout DM, Risbrough VB. Anhedonia in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Prevalence, Phenotypes, and Neural Circuitry. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 58:185-199. [PMID: 34907507 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Anhedonia, the reduction of pleasure and reward-seeking behavior, is a transdiagnostic construct associated with a range of important health outcomes. As with other psychiatric disorders, anhedonia is a relatively common, though understudied, feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that is not adequately targeted by existing treatments. The purpose of this review is to describe the current state of the literature on anhedonia in PTSD and highlight areas for future research based on gaps in the existing evidence base. First, we review evidence for anhedonia symptoms as a distinct PTSD symptom factor and its associations with psychiatric comorbidity, disease trajectory, and quality of life outcomes, as well as describe theories that seek to explain the occurrence of anhedonia among individuals with PTSD. Second, we review evidence for behavioral and neural alterations in reward processing and circuitry, a marker of anhedonia, among individuals with PTSD and in animal models relevant to this disorder. Finally, we discuss key gaps in our understanding of anhedonia in PTSD and suggest areas for future research. Specifically, the timing of anhedonia symptom development and underlying circuit dysfunction in the trauma response trajectory, as well as potential differential associations of facets of anhedonia on clinical outcomes, remain unclear. Additionally, further research is needed to determine potential moderators of anhedonia, as well as the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapeutic, psychopharmacological, and device-based interventions targeting anhedonia among individuals with PTSD. A more thorough understanding of these topics will ultimately improve prevention and intervention efforts for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Vinograd
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Daniel M Stout
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Victoria B Risbrough
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
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10
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Sippel LM, Flanagan JC, Holtzheimer PE, Moran-Santa-Maria MM, Brady KT, Joseph JE. Effects of intranasal oxytocin on threat- and reward-related functional connectivity in men and women with and without childhood abuse-related PTSD. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 317:111368. [PMID: 34455213 PMCID: PMC8572525 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Novel treatments that target neurobiological alterations associated with childhood trauma, particularly among those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), could mitigate negative outcomes for these at-risk individuals. PTSD is characterized by abnormalities within the brain's salience network and reward circuitry, which are modulated by intranasal oxytocin. Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design, we tested whether intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) influenced functional coupling of the amygdala with the anterior insula (AI), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and nucleus accumbens in response to implicitly presented fearful, angry, and happy faces among childhood trauma-exposed individuals with (n = 16, 9 women) and without PTSD (n = 18, 12 women). Psychophysiological interaction analyses revealed that oxytocin effects were limited to amygdala-AI connectivity in the fear condition, distinct for men and women, and not impacted by PTSD diagnosis. In response to fear faces, oxytocin reduced left amygdala-left AI connectivity for women but not men; reduced left amygdala-right AI connectivity among women, but increased this connectivity in men; and reduced right amygdala-right anterior insula connectivity for men, but increased it for women. Results suggest that intranasal oxytocin modulates threat salience among childhood trauma-exposed individuals and that these effects vary as a function of gender and hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Sippel
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.
| | - Julianne C Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Paul E Holtzheimer
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Megan M Moran-Santa-Maria
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kathleen T Brady
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jane E Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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11
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Zhou YG, Shang ZL, Zhang F, Wu LL, Sun LN, Jia YP, Yu HB, Liu WZ. PTSD: Past, present and future implications for China. Chin J Traumatol 2021; 24:187-208. [PMID: 33994278 PMCID: PMC8343811 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjtee.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been a long history since human beings began to realize the existence of post-traumatic symptoms. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a diagnostic category adopted in 1980 in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Ⅲ, described typical clusters of psychiatric symptoms occurring after traumatic events. Abundant researches have helped deepen the understanding of PTSD in terms of epidemiological features, biological mechanisms, and treatment options. The prevalence of PTSD in general population ranged from 6.4% to 7.8% and was significantly higher among groups who underwent major public traumatic events. There has been a long way in the studies of animal models and genetic characteristics of PTSD. However, the high comorbidity with other stress-related psychiatric disorders and complexity in the pathogenesis of PTSD hindered the effort to find specific biological targets for PTSD. Neuroimage was widely used to elucidate the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of PTSD. Functional MRI studies have showed that PTSD was linked to medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and sub-cortical structures like amygdala and hippocampus, and to explore the functional connectivity among these brain areas which might reveal the possible neurobiological mechanism related to PTSD symptoms. For now, cognitive behavior therapy-based psychotherapy, including combination with adjunctive medication, showed evident treatment effects on PTSD. The emergence of more effective PTSD pharmacotherapies awaits novel biomarkers from further fundamental research. Several natural disasters and emergencies have inevitably increased the possibility of suffering from PTSD in the last two decades, making it critical to strengthen PTSD research in China. To boost PTSD study in China, the following suggestions might be helpful: (1) establishing a national psychological trauma recover project, and (2) exploring the mechanisms of PTSD with joint effort and strengthening the indigenized treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Guang Zhou
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Zhi-Lei Shang
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Li-Li Wu
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China,The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Lu-Na Sun
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China,The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yan-Pu Jia
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China,The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Hai-Bo Yu
- Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China,Corresponding author.
| | - Wei-Zhi Liu
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China,The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China,Corresponding author. Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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12
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Carmassi C, Marazziti D, Mucci F, Della Vecchia A, Barberi FM, Baroni S, Giannaccini G, Palego L, Massimetti G, Dell'Osso L. Decreased Plasma Oxytocin Levels in Patients With PTSD. Front Psychol 2021; 12:612338. [PMID: 34276462 PMCID: PMC8280334 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.612338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is still unclear, growing preclinical evidences suggest that oxytocin (OT), a pleiotropic hormone, is possibly involved. However, direct studies on OT levels or clinical trials with this exogenous hormone in patients with PTSD led to inconsistent findings. Therefore, the aim of the present study was at exploring and comparing the plasma OT levels in a group of patients with PTSD and matched healthy subjects as the control group. Materials and Methods Twenty-six outpatients (13 men, 13 women, mean age: 40.3 ± 11.5 years) suffering from PTSD, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), and 26 healthy subjects (13 men, 13 women, mean age: 43.8 ± 12.7 years) were included. The patients were assessed through the structured clinical interview for DSM-5 research version, patient edition (SCID-I/P), and the Impact for Event Scale revised (IES-R). All fasting subjects underwent three venous blood samples for the subsequent oxytocin radioimmunoassay. We used unpaired Student’s t-test to assess OT levels and the intergroup difference of demographic characteristics, while anxiety, avoidance, and hyperarousal scores were compared among groups adjusting for the effect of gender and age by means of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The correlations between different variables were investigated by Pearson’s method. Results The most common traumatic events of patients with PTSD were the following: severe car accident, physical violence, sexual violence, sudden death of a loved one, and natural disaster. The IES total score was 55 ± 15. Student’s t-test revealed that the patients showed significantly lower OT levels (mean ± SD, pg/ml) than healthy control subjects (4.37 ± 1.61 vs 5.64 ± 2.17, p < 0.001). We detected no correlation between the IES total score, subscales, or single items and OT plasma levels. Again, no difference between men and women was detected in the patients’ group, while healthy control women showed higher OT levels than men. Discussion Our study, while reporting the presence of decreased plasma OT levels in outpatients with PTSD of both sexes, as compared with healthy control subjects, would support the possible involvement of OT in the pathophysiology of PTSD. However, given the complexity of the clinical picture, future investigations are necessary to better deepen the role and level of OT in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Donatella Marazziti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Unicamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Medical and Health Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Mucci
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry, North-Western Tuscany Region, NHS Local Health Unit, Viareggio, Italy
| | - Alessandra Della Vecchia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Maria Barberi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Baroni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Gabriele Massimetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Liliana Dell'Osso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Engel S, Schumacher S, Niemeyer H, Kuester A, Burchert S, Klusmann H, Rau H, Willmund GD, Knaevelsrud C. Associations between oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations, traumatic event exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: group comparisons, correlations, and courses during an internet-based cognitive-behavioural treatment. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2021; 12:1886499. [PMID: 33968321 PMCID: PMC8078934 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2021.1886499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by impairments in extinction learning and social behaviour, which are targeted by trauma-focused cognitive behavioural treatment (TF-CBT). The biological underpinnings of TF-CBT can be better understood by adding biomarkers to the clinical evaluation of interventions. Due to their involvement in social functioning and fear processing, oxytocin and arginine vasopressin might be informative biomarkers for TF-CBT, but to date, this has never been tested. Objective: To differentiate the impact of traumatic event exposure and PTSD symptoms on blood oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations. Further, to describe courses of PTSD symptoms, oxytocin and vasopressin during an internet-based TF-CBT and explore interactions between these parameters. Method: We compared oxytocin and vasopressin between three groups of active and former male service members of the German Armed Forces (n = 100): PTSD patients (n = 39), deployed healthy controls who experienced a deployment-related traumatic event (n = 33) and non-deployed healthy controls who never experienced a traumatic event (n = 28). PTSD patients underwent a 5-week internet-based TF-CBT. We correlated PTSD symptoms with oxytocin and vasopressin before treatment onset. Further, we analysed courses of PTSD symptoms, oxytocin and vasopressin from pre- to post-treatment and 3 months follow-up, as well as interactions between the three parameters. Results: Oxytocin and vasopressin did not differ between the groups and were unrelated to PTSD symptoms. PTSD symptoms were highly stable over time, whereas the endocrine parameters were not, and they also did not change in mean. Oxytocin and vasopressin were not associated with PTSD symptoms longitudinally. Conclusions: Mainly due to their insufficient intraindividual stability, single measurements of endogenous oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations are not informative biomarkers for TF-CBT. We discuss how the stability of these biomarkers might be increased and how they could be better related to the specific impairments targeted by TF-CBT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinha Engel
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Schumacher
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helen Niemeyer
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annika Kuester
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Burchert
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hannah Klusmann
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heinrich Rau
- Department for Military Mental Health, German Armed Forces, Military Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerd-Dieter Willmund
- Department for Military Mental Health, German Armed Forces, Military Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Knaevelsrud
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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14
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Ferrer-Pérez C, Reguilón MD, Miñarro J, Rodríguez-Arias M. Oxytocin Signaling as a Target to Block Social Defeat-Induced Increases in Drug Abuse Reward. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052372. [PMID: 33673448 PMCID: PMC7956822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is huge scientific interest in the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) due to its putative capacity to modulate a wide spectrum of physiological and cognitive processes including motivation, learning, emotion, and the stress response. The present review seeks to increase the understanding of the role of OXT in an individual’s vulnerability or resilience with regard to developing a substance use disorder. It places specific attention on the role of social stress as a risk factor of addiction, and explores the hypothesis that OXT constitutes a homeostatic response to stress that buffers against its negative impact. For this purpose, the review summarizes preclinical and clinical literature regarding the effects of OXT in different stages of the addiction cycle. The current literature affirms that a well-functioning oxytocinergic system has protective effects such as the modulation of the initial response to drugs of abuse, the attenuation of the development of dependence, the blunting of drug reinstatement and a general anti-stress effect. However, this system is dysregulated if there is continuous drug use or chronic exposure to stress. In this context, OXT is emerging as a promising pharmacotherapy to restore its natural beneficial effects in the organism and to help rebalance the functions of the addicted brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Ferrer-Pérez
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, C/Ciudad Escolar s/n, 44003 Teruel, Spain;
| | - Marina D. Reguilón
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.R.); (J.M.)
| | - José Miñarro
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.R.); (J.M.)
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.R.); (J.M.)
- Correspondence:
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15
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Zhuang Q, Zhu S, Yang X, Zhou X, Xu X, Chen Z, Lan C, Zhao W, Becker B, Yao S, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin-induced facilitation of learning in a probabilistic task is associated with reduced feedback- and error-related negativity potentials. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:40-49. [PMID: 33274683 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120972347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Feedback evaluation of actions and error response detection are critical for optimizing behavioral adaptation. Oxytocin can facilitate learning following social feedback but whether its effects vary as a function of feedback valence remains unclear. AIMS The present study aimed to investigate whether oxytocin would influence responses to positive and negative feedback differentially or equivalently. METHODS The present study employed a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled within-subject design to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) influenced behavioral and evoked electrophysiological potential responses to positive or negative feedback in a probabilistic learning task. RESULTS Results showed that oxytocin facilitated learning and this effect was maintained in the absence of feedback. Using novel stimulus pairings, we found that oxytocin abolished bias towards learning more from negative feedback under placebo by increasing accuracy for positively reinforced stimuli. Oxytocin also decreased the feedback-related negativity difference (negative minus positive feedback) during learning, further suggesting that it rendered the evaluation of positive and negative feedback more equivalent. Additionally, post-learning oxytocin attenuated error-related negativity amplitudes but increased the late error positivity, suggesting that it may lower conflict detection between actual errors and expected correct responses at an early stage of processing but at a later stage increase error awareness and motivation for avoiding them. CONCLUSIONS Oxytocin facilitates learning and subsequent performance by rendering the impact of positive relative to negative feedback more equivalent and also by reducing conflict detection and increasing error awareness, which may be beneficial for behavioral adaption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhuang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xue Yang
- Institute of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaolei Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chunmei Lan
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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16
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Zhang W, Feng C, Zhang Y, Guan Q, Luo Y, Yang S. The Effects of Aversive Mood State on the Affective Anticipation and Perception: An Event-Related Potential Study. Neuroscience 2020; 458:133-140. [PMID: 33359653 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in the anticipation and experience of affective events represent a key risky factor for a variety of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Here, we examined temporal dynamics underlying the modulations of the aversive mood state on neural responses of anticipating and perceiving affective pictures. Participants were asked to perform an affective cueing paradigm in both threat and safe contexts. In the task, a cue (S1) signaled the subsequent presentation of positive/negative event (e.g., happy or fearful faces) as an affective target stimulus (S2), and participants were instructed to indicate their subjective feelings in response to the target stimuli while electroencephalography (EEG) was recording. Our findings revealed that threat context compared with the safe context attenuated the contingent negative variation (CNV) responses to the cues of positive expressions, and decreased differential late positive potential (LPP) responses to the perception of negative and positive events. These findings suggest that aversive mood dampens the anticipation of positive events and inhibits the elaboration of negative events. The current findings do not only advance our understanding on the temporal characteristics of affective anticipation and experience but also have implications on the emotional deficits across various mental disorders characterized by chronic mood disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weikun Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunliang Feng
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China; Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education (South China Normal University), Guangzhou, China
| | - Yijie Zhang
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China; Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education (South China Normal University), Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Guan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuejia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China; College of Teacher Education, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, China; The Research Center of Brain Science and Visual Cognition, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
| | - Suyong Yang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
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17
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Lopatina OL, Komleva YK, Malinovskaya NA, Panina YA, Morgun AV, Salmina AB. CD157 and Brain Immune System in (Patho)physiological Conditions: Focus on Brain Plasticity. Front Immunol 2020; 11:585294. [PMID: 33304350 PMCID: PMC7693531 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.585294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ectoenzyme and receptor BST-1/CD157 has been considered as a key molecule involved in the regulation of functional activity of cells in various tissues and organs. It is commonly accepted that CD157 catalyzes NAD+ hydrolysis and acts as a component of integrin adhesion receptor complex. Such properties are important for the regulatory role of CD157 in neuronal and glial cells: in addition to recently discovered role in the regulation of emotions, motor functions, and social behavior, CD157 might serve as an important component of innate immune reactions in the central nervous system. Activation of innate immune system in the brain occurs in response to infectious agents as well as in brain injury and neurodegeneration. As an example, in microglial cells, association of CD157 with CD11b/CD18 complex drives reactive gliosis and neuroinflammation evident in brain ischemia, chronic neurodegeneration, and aging. There are various non-substrate ligands of CD157 belonging to the family of extracellular matrix proteins (fibronectin, collagen I, finbrinogen, and laminin) whose activity is required for controlling cell adhesion and migration. Therefore, CD157 could control structural and functional integrity of the blood-brain barrier and barriergenesis. On the other hand, contribution of CD157 to the regulation of brain development is rather possible since in the embryonic brain, CD157 expression is very high, whereas in the adult brain, CD157 is expressed on neural stem cells and, presumably, is involved in the neurogenesis. Besides, CD157 could mediate astrocytes' action on neural stem and progenitor cells within neurogenic niches. In this review we will summarize how CD157 may affect brain plasticity acting as a molecule at the crossroad of neurogenesis, cerebral angiogenesis, and immune regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga L. Lopatina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Laboratory for Social Brain Studies, Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Department of Biophysics, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yulia K. Komleva
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Natalia A. Malinovskaya
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yulia A. Panina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Andrey V. Morgun
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Alla B. Salmina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
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Tapp DN, Singstock MD, Gottliebson MS, McMurray MS. Central but not peripheral oxytocin administration reduces risk-based decision-making in male rats. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104840. [PMID: 32795469 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The hormone oxytocin has long been associated with social behaviors, but recent evidence suggests that it may also affect reward processing in non-social contexts. Decisions are an integral component of many social and reward-based behavioral paradigms. Thus, a broad role for oxytocin in decision-making may explain the wide variety of effects that have been previously observed and resolve controversies in the literature about its role. To determine if oxytocin can selectively modulate decision-making in male rats, we assessed the dose-dependent effects of central (intracerebroventricular) or peripheral (intraperitoneal) administration of oxytocin on probability and delay discounting, two commonly used decision-making tasks that are free of social contexts. Our results showed that central administration of oxytocin dose-dependently reduced preference for risky outcomes in the probability discounting task, but had no impact on delay discounting or reward sensitivity. This effect was blocked by the co-administration of an oxytocin antagonist. Additionally, we found no effect of peripheral oxytocin administration on any task. To identify potential cognitive mechanisms of central oxytocin's effect on decision-making, we determined if central or peripheral oxytocin affects reward sensitivity using an intracranial self-stimulation task, and motivation using a progressive ratio task. These results showed that at the dosage that affects decision-making, central oxytocin had a mild and short-lasting effect on motivation, but no observable effect on reward sensitivity. This pattern of results suggests that oxytocin may selectively reduce risky decisions in male rats, even at dosages that have no major effects on reward processing and motivation. These findings highlight a potentially novel role for oxytocin in non-social cognitive processes and expand our understanding of the mechanism by which oxytocin may regulate social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle N Tapp
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Mitchell D Singstock
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | | | - Matthew S McMurray
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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19
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Sharma SR, Gonda X, Dome P, Tarazi FI. What's Love Got to do with it: Role of oxytocin in trauma, attachment and resilience. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 214:107602. [PMID: 32512017 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a neurohypophysial hormone and neuropeptide produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. It has multiple physiological roles including stimulation of parturition and lactation, and promotion of pro-adaptive social behaviors necessary for mammalian survival. OT interacts with one receptor subtype: the OT receptor (OTR) which, upon stimulation, triggers different intracellular signal transduction cascades to mediate its physiological actions. Preclinical studies show that OT regulates social behaviors such as pair bonding, recognition and social interaction. It also coordinates the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone. Further evidence suggests that OT plays an important role in regulating caloric intake and metabolism, and in maintaining electrolyte and cardiovascular homeostasis. OT is also involved in attenuating the neurophysiological and neurochemical effects of trauma on the brain and body by facilitating both physical attachment such as wound healing, and psychological/social attachment, thereby increasing resilience to subsequent traumatic events. Clinical trials have reported that intranasal administration of OT provides therapeutic benefits for patients diagnosed with traumatic stress-related diseases such as major depressive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. OT's therapeutic benefits may result from context-dependent interactions with key neural pathways (social, cognitive, and reward), neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and endogenous opioids), and biomarkers (adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), that lead to a decrease in stress -associated behaviors, and facilitate post-traumatic growth, ultimately leading to increased resilience, through improved social cohesion and attachment. OT induced-augmentation of physical and cognitive resilience may play a significant role in both the prevention of, and improved clinical outcomes for, traumatic stress-related disorders following either acute or enduring traumatic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samata R Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Xenia Gonda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; MTA-SE Neurochemistry and Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; NAP-2-SE New Antidepressant Target Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Laboratory of Suicide Prevention and Research, National Institute for Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Peter Dome
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Laboratory of Suicide Prevention and Research, National Institute for Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Frank I Tarazi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Program, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
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Witteveen AB, Stramrood CAI, Henrichs J, Flanagan JC, van Pampus MG, Olff M. The oxytocinergic system in PTSD following traumatic childbirth: endogenous and exogenous oxytocin in the peripartum period. Arch Womens Ment Health 2020; 23:317-329. [PMID: 31385103 PMCID: PMC7244459 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-019-00994-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Birth experiences can be traumatic and may give rise to PTSD following childbirth (PTSD-FC). Peripartum neurobiological alterations in the oxytocinergic system are highly relevant for postpartum maternal behavioral and affective adaptions like bonding and lactation but are also implicated in the response to traumatic events. Animal models demonstrated that peripartum stress impairs beneficial maternal postpartum behavior. Early postpartum activation of the oxytocinergic system may, however, reverse these effects and thereby prevent adverse long-term consequences for both mother and infant. In this narrative review, we discuss the impact of trauma and PTSD-FC on normal endogenous oxytocinergic system fluctuations in the peripartum period. We also specifically focus on the potential of exogenous oxytocin (OT) to prevent and treat PTSD-FC. No trials of exogenous OT after traumatic childbirth and PTSD-FC were available. Evidence from non-obstetric PTSD samples and from postpartum healthy or depressed samples implies restorative functional neuroanatomic and psychological effects of exogenous OT such as improved PTSD symptoms and better mother-to-infant bonding, decreased limbic activation, and restored responsiveness in dopaminergic reward regions. Adverse effects of intranasal OT on mood and the increased fear processing and reduced top-down control over amygdala activation in women with acute trauma exposure or postpartum depression, however, warrant cautionary use of intranasal OT. Observational and experimental studies into the role of the endogenous and exogenous oxytocinergic system in PTSD-FC are needed and should explore individual and situational circumstances, including level of acute distress, intrapartum exogenous OT exposure, or history of childhood trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. B. Witteveen
- Department of Midwifery Science/AVAG, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Van der Boechorststraat 7, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C. A. I. Stramrood
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ The Netherlands
| | - J. Henrichs
- Department of Midwifery Science/AVAG, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Van der Boechorststraat 7, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J. C. Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President St., Charleston, 29425 SC USA
| | - M. G. van Pampus
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, OLVG, Oosterpark 9, Amsterdam, 1091 AC The Netherlands
| | - M. Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ The Netherlands
- Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Nienoord 5, Diemen, 1112 XE The Netherlands
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Giovanna G, Damiani S, Fusar-Poli L, Rocchetti M, Brondino N, de Cagna F, Mori A, Politi P. Intranasal oxytocin as a potential therapeutic strategy in post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 115:104605. [PMID: 32088633 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Treatment options for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are limited in terms of available drugs and the success of psychotherapeutic interventions. Oxytocin is a peptide involved in the modulation of social cognition, emotional skills and the reward system, all deficient in PTSD, and thus it has been suggested as a promising pharmacological target. In this systematic review, the potential effects of intranasal OT (INOT) administration on core symptoms in PTSD patients are discussed, as well as neurobiological correlates in functional imaging supporting its clinical evidence. The fourteen studies included in the present review provide tentative evidence that INOT could be a safe pharmacological intervention, although the results were mixed and insufficient to quantify the effectiveness of this intervention. Specifically, the primary outcome measures differed consistently between studies, and the sample sizes were usually small. Considering the neurobiological and clinical evidences, tentative hypotheses can be made on the possible role of INOT in facilitating socially- and goal-oriented cognition and behaviour, thus promoting a better therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome. Such strategies need to be further supported by literature. For instance, only one study to date has directly investigated the use of INOT as an augmentation strategy for psychotherapy (namely, Prolonged Exposure therapy) and for a limited time, nevertheless providing promising results for the efficacy and the medium-term tolerability of this drug after multiple administrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Giovanna
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Stefano Damiani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Laura Fusar-Poli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100, Pavia, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Psychiatry Unit, University of Catania, via Santa Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Matteo Rocchetti
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Natascia Brondino
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca de Cagna
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessia Mori
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Politi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi 21, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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22
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Xu X, Liu C, Zhou X, Chen Y, Gao Z, Zhou F, Kou J, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin Facilitates Self-Serving Rather Than Altruistic Tendencies in Competitive Social Interactions Via Orbitofrontal Cortex. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 22:501-512. [PMID: 31152588 PMCID: PMC6672625 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the neuropeptide oxytocin can facilitate empathy and altruistic behavior, it may also promote self-serving tendencies in some contexts, and it remains unclear if it would increase altruistic or self-interest behaviors when they compete within a social situation. METHODS The current between-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled fMRI study investigated the effect of intranasal oxytocin on empathy for social exclusion using a modified online ball-tossing game that incorporated monetary rewards and the potential to display both altruistic and self-interest behaviors. RESULTS Results showed that when subjects in both oxytocin and placebo groups were observing a player being excluded (victim) by other players in the game, there was activation in the mentalizing network. When subjects then played both with the victim and the players who had excluded them, they threw more balls to the victim player, indicative of an altruistic response. However, subjects in the oxytocin group threw more balls to the excluder players indicative of greater self-interest, since the latter would be perceived as more likely to reciprocate to maximize financial gain. This behavioral effect of oxytocin was associated with greater medial orbitofrontal cortex activation when playing with the excluders and negatively correlated with trait-altruism scores. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings suggest that in the context of competing motivations for exhibiting altruistic or self-interest behavior, oxytocin enhanced self-interest and this was associated with greater activation in frontal reward areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuanshu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhao Gao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 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, Sichuan, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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23
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Schmidt U, Vermetten E. Integrating NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) into PTSD Research. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2019; 38:69-91. [PMID: 28341942 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2017_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Three and a half decades of research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has produced substantial knowledge on the pathobiology of this frequent and debilitating disease. However, despite all research efforts, so far no drug that has specifically targeted PTSD core symptoms progressed to clinical use. Instead, although not overly efficient, serotonin re-uptake inhibitors continue to be considered the gold standard of PTSD pharmacotherapy. The psychotherapeutic treatment and symptom-oriented drug therapy options available for PTSD treatment today show some efficacy, although not in all PTSD patients, in particular not in a substantial percent of those suffering from the detrimental sequelae of repeated childhood trauma or in veterans with combat related PTSD. PTSD has this in common with other psychiatric disorders - in particular effective treatment for incapacitating conditions such as resistant major depression, chronic schizophrenia, and frequently relapsing obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as dementia has not yet been developed through modern neuropsychiatric research.In response to this conundrum, the National Institute of Mental Health launched the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework which aims to leave diagnosis-oriented psychiatric research behind and to move on to the use of research domains overarching the traditional diagnosis systems. To the best of our knowledge, the paper at hand is the first that has systematically assessed the utility of the RDoC system for PTSD research. Here, we review core findings in neurobiological PTSD research and match them to the RDoC research domains and units of analysis. Our synthesis reveals that several core findings in PTSD such as amygdala overactivity have been linked to all RDoC domains without further specification of their distinct role in the pathophysiological pathways associated with these domains. This circumstance indicates that the elucidation of the cellular and molecular processes ultimately decisive for regulation of psychic processes and for the expression of psychopathological symptoms is still grossly incomplete. All in all, we find the RDoC research domains to be useful but not sufficient for PTSD research. Hence, we suggest adding two novel domains, namely stress and emotional regulation and maintenance of consciousness. As both of these domains play a role in various if not in all psychiatric diseases, we judge them to be useful not only for PTSD research but also for psychiatric research in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Schmidt
- Trauma Outpatient Unit and RG Molecular Psychotraumatology, Clinical Department, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 10, Munich, 80804, Germany
| | - Eric Vermetten
- Department Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center Utrecht, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands.
- Arq Psychotruama Research Group, Diemen, The Netherlands.
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24
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Risbrough VB, Glynn LM, Davis EP, Sandman CA, Obenaus A, Stern HS, Keator DB, Yassa MA, Baram TZ, Baker DG. Does Anhedonia Presage Increased Risk of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? : Adolescent Anhedonia and Posttraumatic Disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2019; 38:249-265. [PMID: 29796839 PMCID: PMC9167566 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2018_51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia, the reduced ability to experience pleasure, is a dimensional entity linked to multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, where it is associated with diminished treatment response, reduced global function, and increased suicidality. It has been suggested that anhedonia and the related disruption in reward processing may be critical precursors to development of psychiatric symptoms later in life. Here, we examine cross-species evidence supporting the hypothesis that early life experiences modulate development of reward processing, which if disrupted, result in anhedonia. Importantly, we find that anhedonia may confer risk for later neuropsychiatric disorders, especially posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Whereas childhood trauma has long been associated with increased anhedonia and increased subsequent risk for trauma-related disorders in adulthood, here we focus on an additional novel, emerging direct contributor to anhedonia in rodents and humans: fragmented, chaotic environmental signals ("FRAG") during critical periods of development. In rodents, recent data suggest that adolescent anhedonia may derive from aberrant pleasure/reward circuit maturation. In humans, recent longitudinal studies support that FRAG is associated with increased anhedonia in adolescence. Both human and rodent FRAG exposure also leads to aberrant hippocampal function. Prospective studies are underway to examine if anhedonia is also a marker of PTSD risk. These preliminary cross-species studies provide a critical construct for future examination of the etiology of trauma-related symptoms in adults and for and development of prophylactic and therapeutic interventions. In addition, longitudinal studies of reward circuit development with and without FRAG will be critical to test the mechanistic hypothesis that early life FRAG modifies reward circuitry with subsequent consequences for adolescent-emergent anhedonia and contributes to risk and resilience to trauma and stress in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria B Risbrough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego Veterans Administration, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Elysia P Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Andre Obenaus
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hal S Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - David B Keator
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Michael A Yassa
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Dewleen G Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego Veterans Administration, La Jolla, CA, USA
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25
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Sauer C, Montag C, Reuter M, Kirsch P. Oxytocinergic modulation of brain activation to cues related to reproduction and attachment: Differences and commonalities during the perception of erotic and fearful social scenes. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 136:87-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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26
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Flanagan JC, Sippel LM, Santa Maria MMM, Hartwell KJ, Brady KT, Joseph JE. Impact of Oxytocin on the neural correlates of fearful face processing in PTSD related to childhood Trauma. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019; 10:1606626. [PMID: 31105906 PMCID: PMC6508045 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1606626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to exposure to abuse and neglect during childhood is associated with particularly severe and persistent deleterious outcomes. Amygdala hyperreactivity has been observed in childhood trauma survivors and implicated in symptoms of PTSD. Objective: The neuropeptide oxytocin holds promise as a potential treatment for PTSD due to its ability to attenuate amygdala response to threat cues. However, the effect of oxytocin on amygdala reactivity in individuals with childhood trauma-related PTSD has not been investigated. Method: We employed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) versus placebo on amygdala reactivity to fearful faces among childhood-trauma exposed individuals with PTSD (n = 17) and without PTSD (control group; n = 16). Results: Region-of-interest based amygdala fMRI signal magnitude did not differ by group, drug, or group x drug interaction. Self-report of childhood trauma exposure severity was negatively associated with the oxytocin-related change in left amygdala response in the PTSD group, but not in the control group. Supplementary and exploratory whole-brain analyses conducted separately in each group revealed that left amygdala reactivity to fearful faces was absent on placebo but increased on oxytocin in the control group. The PTSD group showed right amygdala activation to fearful faces in both the oxytocin and placebo conditions, but the left amygdala response observed in the placebo condition was diminished on oxytocin. Conclusions: Findings extend the literature pertaining to the potential for oxytocin to attenuate neural correlates of PTSD to a childhood trauma-related PTSD sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne C Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lauren M Sippel
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Megan M Moran Santa Maria
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Karen J Hartwell
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kathleen T Brady
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jane E Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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27
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Gorka AX, Fuchs B, Grillon C, Ernst M. Impact of induced anxiety on neural responses to monetary incentives. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 13:1111-1119. [PMID: 30289497 PMCID: PMC6234319 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research demonstrates that aversive stimuli can interrupt appetitive processing and that brain regions involved with the processing of potential rewards, such as the ventral striatum (VS), also respond to threatening information. Potential losses can likewise activate the VS and, thus, the full extent to which threat can impact neural responses during incentive processing remains unclear. Here, unpredictable threat of shock was used to induce anxiety while participants performed the monetary incentive delay (MID) task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During anticipation, anxiety impacted neural responses within the bilateral VS and distributed regions of the occipital cortex. Anxiety enhanced activity within the VS to both gain and loss trials. Furthermore, anxiety enhanced activity to both gain and loss trials within dorsal areas of BA19. However, anxiety only enhanced activity during gain, but not loss trials, within ventral areas of BA19. These results suggest that during anticipation, induced anxiety enhanced VS activity to incentives generally, which might reflect changes in the subjective salience of gains and losses. Collectively, these results suggest that the impact of induced anxiety on responses to monetary incentives depend on the neural region, type of incentive, and stage of processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam X Gorka
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear & Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bari Fuchs
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Penn State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Christian Grillon
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear & Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Monique Ernst
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear & Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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28
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Fonzo GA. Diminished positive affect and traumatic stress: A biobehavioral review and commentary on trauma affective neuroscience. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:214-230. [PMID: 30450386 PMCID: PMC6234277 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress manifests in disturbed affect and emotion, including exaggerated severity and frequency of negative valence emotions, e.g., fear, anxiety, anger, shame, and guilt. However, another core feature of common post-trauma psychopathologies, i.e. post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression, is diminished positive affect, or reduced frequency and intensity of positive emotions and affective states such as happiness, joy, love, interest, and desire/capacity for interpersonal affiliation. There remains a stark imbalance in the degree to which the neuroscience of each affective domain has been probed and characterized in PTSD, with our knowledge of post-trauma diminished positive affect remaining comparatively underdeveloped. This remains a prominent barrier to realizing the clinical breakthroughs likely to be afforded by the increasing availability of neuroscience assessment and intervention tools. In this review and commentary, the author summarizes the modest extant neuroimaging literature that has probed diminished positive affect in PTSD using reward processing behavioral paradigms, first briefly reviewing and outlining the neurocircuitry implicated in reward and positive emotion and its interrelationship with negative emotion and negative valence circuitry. Specific research guidelines are then offered to best and most efficiently develop the knowledge base in this area in a way that is clinically translatable and will exert a positive impact on routine clinical care. The author concludes with the prediction that the development of an integrated, bivalent theoretical and predictive model of how trauma impacts affective neurocircuitry to promote post-trauma psychopathology will ultimately lead to breakthroughs in how trauma treatments are conceptualized mechanistically and developed pragmatically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A. Fonzo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, 401 Quarry Road, MC 5722, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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29
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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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30
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Zhao Z, Ma X, Geng Y, Zhao W, Zhou F, Wang J, Markett S, Biswal BB, Ma Y, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Oxytocin differentially modulates specific dorsal and ventral striatal functional connections with frontal and cerebellar regions. Neuroimage 2018; 184:781-789. [PMID: 30266264 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between oxytocin and the basal ganglia are central in current overarching conceptualizations of its broad modulatory effects on behavior. Whereas evidence from animal models emphasizes the critical role of the ventral striatum in the behavioral effects of oxytocin, region-specific contributions of the basal ganglia have not been systematically explored in humans. The present study combined the randomized placebo-controlled administration of oxytocin versus placebo in healthy men (n = 144) with fMRI-based resting-state functional connectivity to determine the modulatory role of oxytocin on the major basal ganglia pathways. Oxytocin specifically increased connectivity between ventral striatal and pallidal nodes with upstream frontal regions, whereas it decreased the strengths of downstream pathways between the dorsal striatum and posterior cerebellum. These pathways have previously been implicated in salience, reward and behavioral flexibility, thus shaping goal-directed behavior. Given the importance of aberrant striatal intrinsic organization in autism, addiction and schizophrenia the present findings may suggest new mechanistic perspectives for the therapeutic potential of oxytocin in these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaole Ma
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yayuan Geng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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31
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Renicker MD, Cysewski N, Palmer S, Nakonechnyy D, Keef A, Thomas M, Magori K, Daberkow DP. Ameliorating Impact of Prophylactic Intranasal Oxytocin on Signs of Fear in a Rat Model of Traumatic Stress. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:105. [PMID: 29892216 PMCID: PMC5985313 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin treatment reduces signs of long-term emotional stress after exposure to trauma; however, little is known about the potential protective effects of oxytocin treatment on behavioral and physiological changes associated with extreme stress exposure. The objective of this study was to investigate oxytocin treatment as a prophylactic measure against rat signs of fear. Two separate experiments were conducted in which the time of intranasal oxytocin administration differed. Intranasal oxytocin (1.0 μg/kg) was administered 5 min after daily exposure to foot shock in Experiment #1 and 1 h before foot shock in Experiment #2. In Experiment #1, possible massage-evoked oxytocin release (5 min after foot shock) was also investigated. In both experiments, a contextual fear conditioning procedure was employed in which stress was induced via inescapable foot shock (3 days, 40 shocks/day, 8 mA/shock) in a fear conditioning chamber. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 24) were divided into four groups (n = 6, per group) for each experiment. Experiment #1 groups: Control Exp#1 (intranasal saline and no foot shock); Stress Exp#1 (intranasal saline 5 min after foot shock); Massage+Stress Exp#1 (massage-like stroking and intranasal saline 5 min after foot shock); Oxytocin+Stress Exp#1 (intranasal oxytocin 5 min after foot shock). Experiment #2 groups: Control Exp#2 (intranasal saline and no foot shock); Stress Exp#2 (intranasal saline 1 h before foot shock); Oxytocin Exp#2 (intranasal oxytocin and no foot shock); Oxytocin+Stress Exp#2 (intranasal oxytocin 1 h before foot shock). One week after fear conditioning (and other treatments), rats were independently evaluated for behavioral signs of fear. Two weeks after conditioning, physiological signs of fear were also assessed (Experiment #1). Relative to controls, rats treated with intranasal oxytocin 5 min after daily foot shock sessions exhibited significantly less immobility upon re-exposure to the shock chamber and attenuated physiological responses related to fear (e.g., elevated heart rate and blood pressure). Furthermore, intranasal oxytocin treatment given 1 h before daily foot shock sessions significantly decreased immobility and defecation upon re-exposure to the shock chamber, relative to controls. The results of this study suggest that prophylactic intranasal oxytocin, administered contemporaneously with aversive stimuli, mitigates behavioral and physiological responses associated with traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah D Renicker
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, United States
| | - Nicholas Cysewski
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, United States
| | - Samuel Palmer
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, United States
| | - Dmytro Nakonechnyy
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, United States
| | - Andrew Keef
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, United States
| | - Morgan Thomas
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, United States
| | - Krisztian Magori
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, United States
| | - David P Daberkow
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, United States
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32
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Donadon MF, Martin-Santos R, Osório FDL. The Associations Between Oxytocin and Trauma in Humans: A Systematic Review. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:154. [PMID: 29545749 PMCID: PMC5838009 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that traumatic experiences may affect hormonal systems mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the oxytocinergic system. This effect is the result of long-term impairments in hypothalamic structures and negative feedback mechanisms within the HPA axis, structures that mediate the response to stress. This deregulation reduces the production and release of cortisol and oxytocin (OXT), which may alter stress responses and lead to increased vulnerability to impairments from stressful experiences. The presence of gene polymorphisms might also have an impact on the vulnerability to psychopathology. We made a systematic review of articles dealing with the relationship between OXT and traumatic emotional experiences in humans. Thirty-five studies were reviewed and significant associations between experiences of emotional trauma (ET) and OXT were found. The main results showed that the presence of ET and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is strongly associated with reductions in endogenous OXT, and also that the acute effects of OXT administrations in individuals with ET tend to be anxiolytic only in less severe forms. In victims of recent traumatic experiences (RTE), OXT increased the re-experience of traumas and restored the function of different neural networks associated with fear control/extinction in PTSD patients. The results available also suggest that gene receptor polymorphisms may have a protective function in different outcomes after the experience of traumatic events. We conclude that the relationship between ET and OXT is multifaceted, complex, and mediated by contextual and individual factors. Directions for future studies are suggested considering the gaps in the available literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Fortunata Donadon
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Flávia de Lima Osório
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasília, Brazil
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33
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Oxytocin curbs calorie intake via food-specific increases in the activity of brain areas that process reward and establish cognitive control. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2736. [PMID: 29426874 PMCID: PMC5807408 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20963-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic neurohormone oxytocin decreases food intake via largely unexplored mechanisms. We investigated the central nervous mediation of oxytocin's hypophagic effect in comparison to its impact on the processing of generalized rewards. Fifteen fasted normal-weight, young men received intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) or placebo before functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements of brain activity during exposure to food stimuli and a monetary incentive delay task (MID). Subsequently, ad-libitum breakfast intake was assessed. Oxytocin compared to placebo increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, anterior cingulate, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices in response to high- vs. low-calorie food images in the fasted state, and reduced calorie intake by 12%. During anticipation of monetary rewards, oxytocin compared to placebo augmented striatal, orbitofrontal and insular activity without altering MID performance. We conclude that during the anticipation of generalized rewards, oxytocin stimulates dopaminergic reward-processing circuits. In contrast, oxytocin restrains food intake by enhancing the activity of brain regions that exert cognitive control, while concomitantly increasing the activity of structures that process food reward value. This pattern points towards a specific role of oxytocin in the regulation of eating behaviour in humans that might be of relevance for potential clinical applications.
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Plessow F, Marengi DA, Perry SK, Felicione JM, Franklin R, Holmes TM, Holsen LM, Makris N, Deckersbach T, Lawson EA. Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on the Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent Signal in Food Motivation and Cognitive Control Pathways in Overweight and Obese Men. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:638-645. [PMID: 28930284 PMCID: PMC5770767 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent research indicates that the hypothalamic neuropeptide hormone oxytocin is a key central nervous system factor in the regulation of food intake and weight. However, the mechanisms underlying the anorexigenic effects of oxytocin in humans are unknown and critical to study to consider oxytocin as a neurohormonal weight loss treatment. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with single-dose intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) in ten overweight or obese, otherwise healthy men. Following oxytocin/placebo administration, participants completed an established functional magnetic resonance imaging food motivation paradigm. We hypothesized that oxytocin would reduce the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal to high-calorie food vs non-food visual stimuli in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the origin of the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system. Following oxytocin administration, compared to placebo, participants showed bilateral VTA hypoactivation to high-calorie food stimuli. A secondary exploratory whole-brain analysis revealed hypoactivation in additional hedonic (orbitofrontal cortex, insula, globus pallidus, putamen, hippocampus, and amygdala) and homeostatic (hypothalamus) food motivation and hyperactivation in cognitive control (anterior cingulate and frontopolar cortex) brain regions following oxytocin administration vs placebo. Oxytocin administration reduces the BOLD signal in reward-related food motivation brain regions, providing a potential neurobiological mechanism for the anorexigenic oxytocin effects in humans. Furthermore, our data indicate that oxytocin administration reduces activation in homeostatic and increases activation in cognitive control brain regions critically involved in regulating food intake and resolving affective conflict, respectively. Future studies are required to link these changes in brain activation to oxytocin effects on food intake and weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Plessow
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street BUL457B, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Tel: +1-617-726-0784; Fax: +1-617-726-5072; E-mail:
| | - Dean A Marengi
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sylvia K Perry
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia M Felicione
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Rachel Franklin
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Tara M Holmes
- Clinical Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura M Holsen
- Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nikolaos Makris
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, USA,Center for Morphometric Analysis, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thilo Deckersbach
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Lawson
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Nawijn L, van Zuiden M, Koch SBJ, Frijling JL, Veltman DJ, Olff M. Intranasal oxytocin increases neural responses to social reward in post-traumatic stress disorder. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:212-223. [PMID: 27614769 PMCID: PMC5390752 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic alliance and perceived social support are important predictors of treatment response for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Intranasal oxytocin administration may enhance treatment response by increasing sensitivity for social reward and thereby therapeutic alliance and perceived social support. As a first step to investigate this therapeutical potential, we investigated whether intranasal oxytocin enhances neural sensitivity to social reward in PTSD patients. Male and female police officers with (n = 35) and without PTSD (n = 37) were included in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over fMRI study. After intranasal oxytocin (40 IU) and placebo administration, a social incentive delay task was conducted to investigate neural responses during social reward and punishment anticipation and feedback. Under placebo, PTSD patients showed reduced left anterior insula (AI) responses to social rewards (i.e. happy faces) compared with controls. Oxytocin administration increased left AI responses during social reward in PTSD patients, such that PTSD patients no longer differed from controls under placebo. Furthermore, in PTSD patients, oxytocin increased responses to social reward in the right putamen. By normalizing abberant insula responses and increasing putamen responses to social reward, oxytocin administration may enhance sensitivity for social support and therapeutic alliance in PTSD patients. Future studies are needed to investigate clinical effects of oxytocin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Nawijn
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam van Zuiden
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia B J Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jessie L Frijling
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007?MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Miranda Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Nienoord 5, 1112 XE Diemen, The Netherlands
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36
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Li T, Chen X, Mascaro J, Haroon E, Rilling JK. Intranasal oxytocin, but not vasopressin, augments neural responses to toddlers in human fathers. Horm Behav 2017; 93:193-202. [PMID: 28161387 PMCID: PMC5565399 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates paternal brain function with the hope of better understanding the neural basis for variation in caregiving involvement among men. The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are implicated in paternal caregiving in humans and other species. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject pharmaco-functional MRI experiment, we randomized 30 fathers of 1-2year old children to receive either 24IU intranasal OT before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15) or 20IU intranasal AVP before one scan and placebo before the other scan (n=15). Brain function was measured with fMRI as the fathers viewed pictures of their children, unknown children and unknown adults, and as they listened to unknown infant cry stimuli. Intranasal OT, but not AVP, significantly increased the BOLD fMRI response to viewing pictures of own children within the caudate nucleus, a target of midbrain dopamine projections, as well as the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and visual cortex, suggesting that intranasal oxytocin augments activation in brain regions involved in reward, empathy and attention in human fathers. OT effects also varied as a function of order of administration such that when OT was given before placebo, it increased activation within several reward-related structures (substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, putamen) more than when it was given after placebo. Neither OT nor AVP had significant main effects on the neural response to cries. Our findings suggest that the hormonal changes associated with the transition to fatherhood are likely to facilitate increased approach motivation and empathy for children, and call for future research that evaluates the potential of OT to normalize deficits in paternal motivation, as might be found among men suffering from post-partum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jennifer Mascaro
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Rd NE, Rm 507, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Ebrahim Haroon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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37
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Hecht EE, Robins DL, Gautam P, King TZ. Intranasal oxytocin reduces social perception in women: Neural activation and individual variation. Neuroimage 2017; 147:314-329. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.12.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Sippel LM, Allington CE, Pietrzak RH, Harpaz-Rotem I, Mayes LC, Olff M. Oxytocin and Stress-related Disorders: Neurobiological Mechanisms and Treatment Opportunities. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2017; 1:2470547016687996. [PMID: 28649672 PMCID: PMC5482285 DOI: 10.1177/2470547016687996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Novel pharmacotherapies that improve outcomes for individuals with stress-related psychiatric disorders are needed. The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) is a promising candidate given its influence on the social-emotional brain. In this review, we present an overview of evidence supporting OT's utility for treating major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. We first discuss endogenous OT, which research suggests is not yet a reliable biomarker of stress-related disorders. Second, we review effects of intranasal (IN) OT on processes relevant to stress-related disorders in healthy populations (anhedonia, reward processing, psychosocial stress reactivity, fear/anxiety, and social behavior) and their neurobiological mechanisms (e.g., the salience network and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). Third, we present the sparse but promising findings from clinical populations, followed by discussion of critical moderating variables to consider in the service of maximizing the therapeutic potential of OT (e.g., patient sex and child maltreatment). We also identify heterogeneous findings and limitations of existing research, including reliance on single-dose studies in psychiatrically healthy samples and unanswered questions regarding the effectiveness of IN drug delivery and dosing schedules. Well-controlled multidose studies including women and measures of potentially moderating variables are sorely needed and would inform our understanding of the utility of OT for preventing and treating stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Sippel
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Robert H. Pietrzak
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division,
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Miranda Olff
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic
Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen,
The Netherlands
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39
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Vogt D, Erbes CR, Polusny MA. Role of social context in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Curr Opin Psychol 2017; 14:138-142. [PMID: 28813313 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Research has increasingly focused on the role that social circumstances before, during, and after trauma exposure play in risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this article, we provide an overview of conceptual and methodological challenges to the study of social context's role in PTSD and propose strategies that can mitigate these challenges. Throughout the article, we draw from the current literature to illustrate how attention to these issues can lead to advances in our knowledge of the role of social context in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawne Vogt
- National Center for PTSD, Women's Health Sciences Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Boston University School of Medicine,72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - Christopher R Erbes
- Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Healthcare System, One Veterans Drive (68-2), Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, 2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
| | - Melissa A Polusny
- Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Healthcare System, One Veterans Drive (68-2), Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, 2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
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40
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Frijling JL. Preventing PTSD with oxytocin: effects of oxytocin administration on fear neurocircuitry and PTSD symptom development in recently trauma-exposed individuals. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2017; 8:1302652. [PMID: 28451068 PMCID: PMC5400019 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1302652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder which develops in approximately 10% of trauma-exposed individuals. Currently, there are few early preventive interventions available for PTSD. Intranasal oxytocin administration early posttrauma may prevent PTSD symptom development, as oxytocin administration was previously found to beneficially impact neurobiological (e.g. amygdala reactivity) and socio-emotional PTSD vulnerability factors. Objective: The overall aim of this dissertation was to investigate the potential of intranasal oxytocin administration as early preventive intervention for PTSD. Methods: We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to assess the acute effects of a single administration of oxytocin on the functional fear neurocircuitry - consisting of the amygdala and (pre)frontal brain regions - in recently trauma-exposed emergency department patients (range n = 37-41). In addition, we performed a multicentre randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial (RCT) to assess the efficacy of repeated intranasal oxytocin administration early after trauma for preventing PTSD symptom development up to six months posttrauma (n = 107). Results: In our fMRI experiments we observed acutely increased amygdala reactivity to fearful faces and attenuated amygdala-ventromedial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity after a single oxytocin administration in recently trauma-exposed individuals. However, in our RCT we found that repeated intranasal oxytocin administration early posttrauma reduced subsequent PTSD symptom development in recently trauma-exposed emergency department patients with high acute PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: These findings indicate that repeated intranasal oxytocin is a promising early preventive intervention for PTSD for individuals at increased risk for PTSD due to high acute symptom severity. Administration frequency dependent effects of oxytocin or the effects of oxytocin administration on salience processing may serve as explanatory frameworks for the contrasting oxytocin effects on anxiety-related measures in our clinical and neuroimaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie L Frijling
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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41
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Mickey BJ, Heffernan J, Heisel C, Peciña M, Hsu DT, Zubieta JK, Love TM. Oxytocin modulates hemodynamic responses to monetary incentives in humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:3905-3919. [PMID: 27614896 PMCID: PMC5106343 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4423-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Oxytocin is a neuropeptide widely recognized for its role in regulating social and reproductive behavior. Increasing evidence from animal models suggests that oxytocin also modulates reward circuitry in non-social contexts, but evidence in humans is lacking. OBJECTIVES We examined the effects of oxytocin administration on reward circuit function in 18 healthy men as they performed a monetary incentive task. METHODS The blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging in the context of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of intranasal oxytocin. RESULTS We found that oxytocin increases the BOLD signal in the midbrain (substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area) during the late phase of the hemodynamic response to incentive stimuli. Oxytocin's effects on midbrain responses correlated positively with its effects on positive emotional state. We did not detect an effect of oxytocin on responses in the nucleus accumbens. Whole-brain analyses revealed that oxytocin attenuated medial prefrontal cortical deactivation specifically during anticipation of loss. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that intranasal administration of oxytocin modulates human midbrain and medial prefrontal function during motivated behavior. These findings suggest that endogenous oxytocin is a neurochemical mediator of reward behaviors in humans-even in a non-social context-and that the oxytocinergic system is a potential target of pharmacotherapy for psychiatric disorders that involve dysfunction of reward circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Mickey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Joseph Heffernan
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Curtis Heisel
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marta Peciña
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David T Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Jon-Kar Zubieta
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Tiffany M Love
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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Intranasal Oxytocin Normalizes Amygdala Functional Connectivity in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:2041-51. [PMID: 26741286 PMCID: PMC4908648 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been suggested as a promising pharmacological agent for medication-enhanced psychotherapy in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of its anxiolytic and prosocial properties. We therefore investigated the behavioral and neurobiological effects of a single intranasal OT administration (40 IU) in PTSD patients. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over resting-state fMRI study in male and female police officers with (n=37, 21 males) and without PTSD (n=40, 20 males). We investigated OT administration effects on subjective anxiety and functional connectivity of basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CeM) amygdala subregions with prefrontal and salience processing areas. In PTSD patients, OT administration resulted in decreased subjective anxiety and nervousness. Under placebo, male PTSD patients showed diminished right CeM to left ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) connectivity compared with male trauma-exposed controls, which was reinstated after OT administration. Additionally, female PTSD patients showed enhanced right BLA to bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) connectivity compared with female trauma-exposed controls, which was dampened after OT administration. Although caution is warranted, our findings tentatively suggest that OT has the potential to diminish anxiety and fear expression of the amygdala in PTSD, either via increased control of the vmPFC over the CeM (males) or via decreased salience processing of the dACC and BLA (females). Our findings add to accumulating evidence that OT administration could potentially enhance treatment response in PTSD.
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43
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Liddell BJ, Jobson L. The impact of cultural differences in self-representation on the neural substrates of posttraumatic stress disorder. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2016; 7:30464. [PMID: 27302635 PMCID: PMC4908066 DOI: 10.3402/ejpt.v7.30464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant body of literature documents the neural mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is very little empirical work considering the influence of culture on these underlying mechanisms. Accumulating cultural neuroscience research clearly indicates that cultural differences in self-representation modulate many of the same neural processes proposed to be aberrant in PTSD. The objective of this review paper is to consider how culture may impact on the neural mechanisms underlying PTSD. We first outline five key affective and cognitive functions and their underlying neural correlates that have been identified as being disrupted in PTSD: (1) fear dysregulation; (2) attentional biases to threat; (3) emotion and autobiographical memory; (4) self-referential processing; and (5) attachment and interpersonal processing. Second, we consider prominent cultural theories and review the empirical research that has demonstrated the influence of cultural variations in self-representation on the neural substrates of these same five affective and cognitive functions. Finally, we propose a conceptual model that suggests that these five processes have major relevance to considering how culture may influence the neural processes underpinning PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda J Liddell
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Australia, Sydney, Australia;
| | - Laura Jobson
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Clayton, Australia
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