Oxytocin and sexual function in males and females with schizophrenia

Oxytocin: An Old Hormone, A Novel Psychotropic Drug And Possible Use In Treating Psychiatric Disorders

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.

Oxytocin modulates intrinsic neural activity in patients with chronic low back pain

BACKGROUND

Modulation of pain perception by oxytocin (OXT) has attracted increased scientific and clinical interest. Neural mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of intranasally applied OXT on intrinsic neural activity in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP).

METHODS

Twenty-four male patients with cLBP and 23 healthy males were examined using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were scanned twice and received either intranasally applied OXT (24 international units) or placebo 40 min before scanning. The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) was computed to investigate regionally specific effects of OXT on intrinsic neural activity. In addition a multivariate statistical data analysis strategy was employed to explore OXT-effects on functional network strength.

RESULTS

Differential effects of OXT were observed in cLBP and healthy controls. FALFF decreased in left nucleus accumbens and right thalamus in cLBP and increased in right thalamus in healthy controls after OXT application compared to placebo. OXT also induced activity changes in bilateral thalamus, left caudate nucleus and right amygdala in cLBP. OXT was associated with increased medial frontal, parietal and occipital functional network strength, though this effect was not group-specific. Regression analyses revealed significant associations between left nucleus accumbens, left caudate nucleus and right amygdala with pain-specific psychometric scores in cLBP.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest OXT-related modulation of regional activity and neural network strength in patients with cLBP and healthy controls. In patients, distinct regions of the pain matrix may be responsive to modulation by OXT.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our data suggest significant oxytocin-related modulation of intrinsic regional activity and neural network strength in patients with chronic low back pain and healthy controls. In patients, distinct regions of the pain matrix may be responsive to modulation by oxytocin. Therapeutic effects of oxytocin for improved pain treatment need to be further investigated.