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Fabi SG, Cattelan L, Caughlin B, Pérez JS, Cirrincione M, Dayan S. Unlocking the psycho-social-dermal axis: A double blinded randomized placebo controlled study unveiling the influence of a novel topical formulation on skin quality, attractiveness, quality of life, and sexual satisfaction. J Cosmet Dermatol 2024; 23:2905-2917. [PMID: 39073288 DOI: 10.1111/jocd.16496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improved skin appearance is closely linked to higher self-esteem, favorable first impressions, and enhanced quality of life, with skincare products often being formulated with biostimulatory and regenerative ingredients to both enhance skin health and provide psychological benefits. Certain components, such as phospholipids and botanicals, may not only improve skin quality, but also impact mood, romantic bonding, and sexual attraction. AIMS To assess whether a novel topical skin care product formulated with a proprietary combination of proteins, lipids, and botanical derivatives, can potentially result in a robust psycho-social-dermatological benefit via modulation epidermal oxytocin and pheromonal pathways. PATIENTS/METHODS In this single-center prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blinded study, 40 female subjects were randomly assigned to use of either active novel skincare products, or placebos, for 4-8 weeks. Skin assessments, standardized photography, first impression ratings, and questionnaires on confidence and sexual satisfaction were conducted. RESULTS Thirty-nine subjects completed the study and demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in skin quality following 4 and 8 weeks of use, with improvements of greater magnitude demonstrated with a longer duration of use. Product users projected a better first impression and appeared on average 3 years younger than their actual age, with 86% of subjects reporting increased confidence. Product users found random people of the opposite sex to be more attractive 88% of the time and reported improvement in sexual satisfaction in 90% of the categories. CONCLUSIONS The use of this novel topical product culminated in statistically significant improvements in skin quality, confidence, sexual relationship satisfaction, perceived attractiveness, and youthfulness, highlighting its potential in anti-aging and mood enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leila Cattelan
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Benjamin Caughlin
- Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jose Sanchez Pérez
- Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mia Cirrincione
- University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Steven Dayan
- Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Wenger LP, Hamm O, Mühle C, Hoffmann S, Reinhard I, Bach P, Kornhuber J, Alpers GW, Kiefer F, Leménager T, Lenz B. Alcohol does not influence trust in others or oxytocin, but increases positive affect and risk-taking: a randomized, controlled, within-subject trial. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024; 274:311-320. [PMID: 37707566 PMCID: PMC10914917 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01676-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption to facilitate social interaction is an important drinking motive. Here, we tested whether alcohol influences trust in others via modulation of oxytocin and/or androgens. We also aimed at confirming previously shown alcohol effects on positive affect and risk-taking, because of their role in facilitating social interaction. METHODS This randomized, controlled, within-subject, parallel group, alcohol-challenge experiment investigated the effects of alcohol (versus water, both mixed with orange juice) on perceived trustworthiness via salivary oxytocin (primary and secondary endpoint) as well as testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, positive affect, and risk-taking (additional endpoints). We compared 56 male participants in the alcohol condition (1.07 ± 0.18 per mille blood alcohol concentration) with 20 in the control condition. RESULTS The group (alcohol versus control condition) × time (before [versus during] versus after drinking) interactions were not significantly associated with perceived trustworthiness (η2 < 0.001) or oxytocin (η2 = 0.003). Bayes factors provided also substantial evidence for the absence of these effects (BF01 = 3.65; BF01 = 7.53). The group × time interactions were related to dihydrotestosterone (η2 = 0.018 with an increase in the control condition) as well as positive affect and risk-taking (η2 = 0.027 and 0.007 with increases in the alcohol condition), but not significantly to testosterone. DISCUSSION The results do not verify alcohol effects on perceived trustworthiness or oxytocin in male individuals. However, they indicate that alcohol (versus control) might inhibit an increase in dihydrotestosterone and confirm that alcohol amplifies positive affect and risk-taking. This provides novel mechanistic insight into social facilitation as an alcohol-drinking motive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard P Wenger
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Oliver Hamm
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane Mühle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sabine Hoffmann
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Georg W Alpers
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tagrid Leménager
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Bernd Lenz
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
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Preti E, Richetin J, Poggi A, Fertuck E. A Model of Trust Processes in Borderline Personality Disorder: A Systematic Review. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2023; 25:555-567. [PMID: 37889465 PMCID: PMC10654201 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-023-01468-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Unstable relationships are a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Impairments in trust processes (i.e., appraisal and learning regarding others' trustworthiness) can subserve interpersonal problems associated with BPD, but the determinants, mechanisms, consequences, and variations in trust impairments among individuals with BPD remain poorly characterized. Thus, a better understanding of such impairments could help target interventions that address the interpersonal problems of individuals with BPD beyond emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and aggression. RECENT FINDINGS We conducted a pre-registered systematic review of empirical studies on trust processes and BPD features (k = 29). Results are organized around a heuristic model of trust processes in BPD comprising the following stages: developmental factors, prior beliefs and dispositions, situation perception, emotional states, trust appraisal, behavioral manifestations, and trust learning. Based on the synthesis of the findings, we recommended directions for future research and clinical assessment and intervention, such as managing trust during the early stages of therapy and considering improvements in trust processes as a central mechanism of change in treating individuals with BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Preti
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126, Milan, Italy.
| | - Juliette Richetin
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Anita Poggi
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Eric Fertuck
- City College of the City University of New York, New York, USA
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Hennig-Fast K, Meissner D, Steuwe C, Dehning S, Blautzik J, Eilert DW, Zill P, Müller N, Meindl T, Reiser M, Möller HJ, Falkai P, Driessen M, Buchheim A. The Interplay of Oxytocin and Attachment in Schizophrenic Patients: An fMRI Study. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1125. [PMID: 37626482 PMCID: PMC10452454 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081125] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attachment theory offers an important framework for understanding interpersonal interaction experiences. In the present study, we examined the neural correlates of attachment patterns and oxytocin in schizophrenic patients (SZP) compared to healthy controls (HC) using fMRI. We assumed that male SZP shows a higher proportion of insecure attachment and an altered level of oxytocin compared to HC. On a neural level, we hypothesized that SZP shows increased neural activation in memory and self-related brain regions during the activation of the attachment system compared to HC. METHODS We used an event-related design for the fMRI study based on stimuli that were derived from the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System to examine attachment representations and their neural and hormonal correlates in 20 male schizophrenic patients compared to 20 male healthy controls. RESULTS A higher proportion of insecure attachment in schizophrenic patients compared to HC could be confirmed. In line with our hypothesis, Oxytocin (OXT) levels in SZP were significantly lower than in HC. We found increasing brain activations in SZP when confronted with personal relevant sentences before attachment relevant pictures in the precuneus, TPJ, insula, and frontal areas compared to HC. Moreover, we found positive correlations between OXT and bilateral dlPFC, precuneus, and left ACC in SZP only. CONCLUSION Despite the small sample sizes, the patients' response might be considered as a mode of dysregulation when confronted with this kind of personalized attachment-related material. In the patient group, we found positive correlations between OXT and three brain areas (bilateral dlPFC, precuneus, left ACC) and may conclude that OXT might modulate within this neural network in SZP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Hennig-Fast
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany (H.-J.M.); (P.F.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Dominik Meissner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany (H.-J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Carolin Steuwe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sandra Dehning
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany (H.-J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Janusch Blautzik
- Department of Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk W. Eilert
- Department of Psychology, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Peter Zill
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany (H.-J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Norbert Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany (H.-J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Thomas Meindl
- Department of Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Reiser
- Department of Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Hans-Jürgen Möller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany (H.-J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany (H.-J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Martin Driessen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Anna Buchheim
- Department of Psychology, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Wei J, Zheng H, Li G, Chen Z, Fang G, Yan J. Involvement of oxytocin receptor deficiency in psychiatric disorders and behavioral abnormalities. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1164796. [PMID: 37153633 PMCID: PMC10159063 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1164796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin and its target receptor (oxytocin receptor, OXTR) exert important roles in the regulation of complex social behaviors and cognition. The oxytocin/OXTR system in the brain could activate and transduce several intracellular signaling pathways to affect neuronal functions or responses and then mediate physiological activities. The persistence and outcome of the oxytocin activity in the brain are closely linked to the regulation, state, and expression of OXTR. Increasing evidence has shown that genetic variations, epigenetic modification states, and the expression of OXTR have been implicated in psychiatric disorders characterized by social deficits, especially in autism. Among these variations and modifications, OXTR gene methylation and polymorphism have been found in many patients with psychiatric disorders and have been considered to be associated with those psychiatric disorders, behavioral abnormalities, and individual differences in response to social stimuli or others. Given the significance of these new findings, in this review, we focus on the progress of OXTR's functions, intrinsic mechanisms, and its correlations with psychiatric disorders or deficits in behaviors. We hope that this review can provide a deep insight into the study of OXTR-involved psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbao Wei
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Ningde Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Ningde Normal University, Ningde, Fujian, China
| | - Huanrui Zheng
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Critical Diseases Research, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Guokai Li
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Critical Diseases Research, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zichun Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Ningde Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Ningde Normal University, Ningde, Fujian, China
| | - Gengjing Fang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Critical Diseases Research, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Technical Evaluation of Fertility Regulation for Non-human Primate (Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital), Fuzhou, Fujia, China
- Gengjing Fang
| | - Jianying Yan
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Critical Diseases Research, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Obstetrics, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- *Correspondence: Jianying Yan
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Kuzminska AO, Gasiorowska A, Zaleskiewicz T. EXPRESS: Market mindset hinders interpersonal trust: The exposure to market relationships makes people trust less through elevated proportional thinking and reduced state empathy. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2022:17470218221126416. [PMID: 36068664 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221126416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In a series of five experiments, we provided evidence that evoking the market mindset negatively affects trust. We found that the market mindset reduces trust compared to the communal mindset (Experiment 1) and a neutral condition (Experiment 2). Next, we examined the psychological mechanisms behind the detrimental effect of the market mindset on trust and found that this effect was mediated by enhanced proportional thinking (Experiments 3 and 4) and reduced state empathy (Experiments 4 and 5). Finally, in a preregistered Experiment 5, we showed that these two psychological mechanisms are relatively independent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Olga Kuzminska
- Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw, Szturmowa 1/3, 02-678 Warsaw, Poland 49605
| | - Agata Gasiorowska
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Center for Research in Economic Behavior, Ostrowskiego 30b, 50-505 Wroclaw, Poland 86927
| | - Tomasz Zaleskiewicz
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Center for Research in Economic Behavior, Ostrowskiego 30b, 50-505 Wroclaw, Poland 86927
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7
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Putnam PT, Chang SWC. Interplay between the oxytocin and opioid systems in regulating social behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210050. [PMID: 35858101 PMCID: PMC9272147 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The influence of neuromodulators on brain activity and behaviour is undeniably profound, yet our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms, or ability to reliably reproduce effects across varying conditions, is still lacking. Oxytocin, a hormone that acts as a neuromodulator in the brain, is an example of this quandary; it powerfully shapes behaviours across nearly all mammalian species, yet when manipulated exogenously can produce unreliable or sometimes unexpected behavioural results across varying contexts. While current research is rapidly expanding our understanding of oxytocin, interactions between oxytocin and other neuromodulatory systems remain underappreciated in the current literature. This review highlights interactions between oxytocin and the opioid system that serve to influence social behaviour and proposes a parallel-mechanism hypothesis to explain the supralinear effects of combinatorial neuropharmacological approaches. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip T. Putnam
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Steve W. C. Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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Smith JA, Eikenberry SA, Scott KA, Baumer-Harrison C, de Lartigue G, de Kloet AD, Krause EG. Oxytocin and cardiometabolic interoception: Knowing oneself affects ingestive and social behaviors. Appetite 2022; 175:106054. [PMID: 35447163 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Maintaining homeostasis while navigating one's environment involves accurately assessing and interacting with external stimuli while remaining consciously in tune with internal signals such as hunger and thirst. Both atypical social interactions and unhealthy eating patterns emerge as a result of dysregulation in factors that mediate the prioritization and attention to salient stimuli. Oxytocin is an evolutionarily conserved peptide that regulates attention to exteroceptive and interoceptive stimuli in a social environment by functioning in the brain as a modulatory neuropeptide to control social behavior, but also in the periphery as a hormone acting at oxytocin receptors (Oxtr) expressed in the heart, gut, and peripheral ganglia. Specialized sensory afferent nerve endings of Oxtr-expressing nodose ganglia cells transmit cardiometabolic signals via the Vagus nerve to integrative regions in the brain that also express Oxtr(s). These brain regions are influenced by vagal sensory pathways and coordinate with external events such as those demanding attention to social stimuli, thus the sensations related to cardiometabolic function and social interactions are influenced by oxytocin signaling. This review investigates the literature supporting the idea that oxytocin mediates the interoception of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems, and that the modulation of this awareness likewise influences social cognition. These concepts are then considered in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder, exploring how atypical social behavior is comorbid with cardiometabolic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Smith
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sophia A Eikenberry
- Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Karen A Scott
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Caitlin Baumer-Harrison
- Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Guillaume de Lartigue
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Annette D de Kloet
- Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Eric G Krause
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Boyle A, Johnson A, Ellenbogen M. Intranasal oxytocin alters attention to emotional facial expressions, particularly for males and those with depressive symptoms. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 142:105796. [PMID: 35617742 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Intranasal oxytocin (OT) can enhance emotion recognition, perhaps by promoting increased attention to social cues. Some studies indicate that individuals with difficulties processing social information, including those with psychopathology, show more pronounced effects in response to OT. As such, there is interest in the potential therapeutic use of OT in populations with deficits in social cognition. The present study examined the effects of intranasal OT on the processing of facial features and selective attention to emotional facial expressions, as well as whether individual differences in depressive symptom severity predict sensitivity to intranasal OT. In a double-blind placebo-controlled within-subject design, eye tracking was used to measure attention to facial features in an emotional expression appraisal task, and attention to emotional expressions in a free-viewing task with a quadrant of multiple faces. OT facilitated the processing of positive cues, enhancing the maintenance of attention to the mouth region of happy faces and to happy faces within a quadrant, with similar effect sizes, despite the latter effect not being statistically significant. Further, persons with depressive symptoms, and particularly males, were sensitive to OT's effects. For males only, OT, relative to placebo, increased attentional focus to the mouth region of all faces. Individuals with depressive symptoms showed less attentional focus on angry (males only) and sad facial expressions, and more attention to happy faces (particularly for males). Results indicate increased sensitivity to OT in males and persons at risk for depression, with OT administration promoting a positive bias in selective attention to social stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Boyle
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Canada.
| | - Aaron Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Canada.
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10
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Implementation intentions to express gratitude increase daily time co-present with an intimate partner, and moderate effects of variation in CD38. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11697. [PMID: 35810173 PMCID: PMC9271060 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15650-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Close social connections drive mental and physical health and promote longevity. Positive, other-focused behavior like expressing gratitude may be a key mechanism for increasing close bonds. Existing evidence consistent with this claim is predominantly correlational, likely driven by challenges in causally influencing and sustaining behavior change in the context of ongoing relationships. This 5-week field experiment with daily data from couples provides the first evidence for a brief, low-cost behavioral technique to increase everyday expressed gratitude to a romantic partner. Random assignment to the gratitude expression treatment (GET) increased the amount of time couples spent co-present in everyday life, from the weeks before GET to the weeks after, relative to the control condition. This effect was mediated by the change in expressed gratitude. Voluntary co-presence is an important behavioral indicator of close bonds in non-human animals. Further analyses with a functional genotype related to the oxytocin system (rs6449182) suggest a neurochemical pathway involved in the effects of expressing gratitude. Together, this evidence bridges animal and human research on bonding behavior and sets up future experiments on biopsychosocial mechanisms linking close bonds to health.
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Lin T, Pehlivanoglu D, Ziaei M, Liu P, Woods AJ, Feifel D, Fischer H, Ebner NC. Age-Related Differences in Amygdala Activation Associated With Face Trustworthiness but No Evidence of Oxytocin Modulation. Front Psychol 2022; 13:838642. [PMID: 35814062 PMCID: PMC9262048 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.838642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala has been shown to be responsive to face trustworthiness. While older adults typically give higher face trustworthiness ratings than young adults, a direct link between amygdala response and age-related differences in face trustworthiness evaluation has not yet been confirmed. Additionally, there is a possible modulatory role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in face trustworthiness evaluation, but the results are mixed and effects unexplored in aging. To address these research gaps, young, and older adults were randomly assigned to oxytocin or placebo self-administration via a nasal spray before rating faces on trustworthiness while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. There was no overall age-group difference in face trustworthiness ratings, but older compared to young participants gave higher trustworthiness ratings to ambivalently untrustworthy-looking faces. In both age groups, lower face trustworthiness ratings were associated with higher left amygdala activity. A comparable negative linear association was observed in right amygdala but only among young participants. Also, in the right amygdala, lower and higher, compared to moderate, face trustworthiness ratings were associated with greater right amygdala activity (i.e., positive quadratic (U-shaped) association) for both age groups. Neither the behavioral nor the brain effects were modulated by a single dose of intranasal oxytocin administration, however. These results suggest dampened response to faces with lower trustworthiness among older compared to young adults, supporting the notion of reduced sensitivity to cues of untrustworthiness in aging. The findings also extend evidence of an age-related positivity effect to the evaluation of face trustworthiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Didem Pehlivanoglu
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Maryam Ziaei
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Peiwei Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Adam J. Woods
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - David Feifel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Håkan Fischer
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre (SUBIC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Natalie C. Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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12
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Freeman H, Scholl JL, AnisAbdellatif M, Forster GL, Jacob S, Kaflay S, Bam R, Do T, Gnimpieba EZ. Experimental data exploring the effects of intranasal oxytocin on young adult social preference and attachment to romantic partners, parents, friends, and strangers. Data Brief 2022; 42:108283. [PMID: 35656124 PMCID: PMC9151734 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental studies exploring the effects of intranasal oxytocin are typically underpowered due to small samples. Open access to experimental data and procedures and the use of previously employed measures is critical to building more robust and replicable findings, especially in less studied areas of oxytocin research. In this paper, data is provided from a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study exploring the effects of intranasal oxytocin (IN—OT: 24 IU) on social preference to romantic partners, parents, peers, and strangers. Young adults (N = 44; 91% female) in committed dating relationships completed three phases of data collection including a screening survey followed by two cmd kwdnextpage ?>laboratory visits. In addition to romantic partner-, and stranger attraction ratings, the data is the first to provide comparisons between attachment and social preference ratings to parents, close friends, and romantic partners under placebo and IN—OT conditions. The data also include differences by situational and life history factors known to moderate oxytocin effects. The detailed protocol, and dataflow can be accessed to verify the analysis and findings or to conduct a replication study. The standardized experimental design and common IN—OT protocol add to the capacity for a meta-analysis exploring oxytocin effects on partner preference and may also be directly ported to existing or future studies with related questions to increase sample size and power.
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Lemoine SRT, Samuni L, Crockford C, Wittig RM. Parochial cooperation in wild chimpanzees: a model to explain the evolution of parochial altruism. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210149. [PMID: 35369746 PMCID: PMC8977654 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parochial altruism, taking individual costs to benefit the in-group and harm the out-group, has been proposed as one of the mechanisms underlying the human ability of large-scale cooperation. How parochial altruism has evolved remains unclear. In this review paper, we formulate a parochial cooperation model in small-scale groups and examine the model in wild chimpanzees. As suggested for human parochial altruism, we review evidence that the oxytocinergic system and in-group cooperation and cohesion during out-group threat are integral parts of chimpanzee collective action during intergroup competition. We expand this model by suggesting that chimpanzee parochial cooperation is supported by the social structure of chimpanzee groups which enables repeated interaction history and established social ties between co-operators. We discuss in detail the role of the oxytocinergic system in supporting parochial cooperation, a pathway that appears integral already in chimpanzees. The reviewed evidence suggests that prerequisites of human parochial altruism were probably present in the last common ancestor between Pan and Homo. This article is part of the theme issue 'Intergroup conflict across taxa'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain R. T. Lemoine
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Liran Samuni
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod, UMR 5229, CNRS/University of Lyon, Bron, France
| | - Roman M. Wittig
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod, UMR 5229, CNRS/University of Lyon, Bron, France
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14
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Guoynes CD, Marler CA. Intranasal oxytocin reduces pre-courtship aggression and increases paternal response in California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Physiol Behav 2022; 249:113773. [PMID: 35248556 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide that can facilitate prosocial behavior and decrease social stress and anxiety but can also increase aggression in some contexts. We investigated whether acute pulses of intranasal (IN) OXT influenced social behavior during social challenges that are likely to occur throughout the lifespan of a wild mouse. To test this, we examined the acute effects of IN OXT in the male California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), a monogamous, biparental, and territorial rodent, using a within-subjects longitudinal design. Social challenges included a pre-courtship male-female encounter conducted during the (1) initial aggressive and not the following affiliative phase of courtship, (2) same-sex resident intruder test, and (3) parental care test. Consecutive tests and doses were separated by at least two weeks. Males were treated with intranasal infusions of 0.8 IU/kg OXT or saline controls 5-min before each behavioral test, receiving a total of three treatments of either IN OXT or saline control. We predicted that IN OXT would 1) decrease aggression and increase affiliation during the pre-courtship aggression phase, 2) increase aggression during resident intruder paradigms, and 3) increase paternal care and vocalizations during a paternal care test. As predicted, during pre-courtship aggression with a novel female, IN OXT males displayed less contact aggression than control males, although with no change in affiliative behavior. However, post-pairing, during the resident intruder test, IN OXT males did not differ from control males in contact aggression. During the paternal care test, IN OXT males were quicker to approach their pups than control males but did not differ in vocalizations produced, unlike our previous research demonstrating an effect on vocalizations in females. In summary, during pre-courtship aggression and the paternal care test, IN OXT reduced antisocial behavior; however, during the resident intruder test, IN OXT did not alter antisocial behavior. These data suggest that IN OXT promotes prosocial behavior specifically in social contexts that can lead to affiliation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleigh D Guoynes
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison - Madison, 1202 W Johnson Street, Madison, WI, 53703 USA.
| | - Catherine A Marler
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison - Madison, 1202 W Johnson Street, Madison, WI, 53703 USA
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15
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Intranasal Oxytocin Modulates the Salience Network in Aging. Neuroimage 2022; 253:119045. [PMID: 35259525 PMCID: PMC9450112 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence supports a role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in promoting social cognition and prosocial behavior, possibly via modulation of the salience of social information. The effect of intranasal oxytocin administration on the salience network, however, is not well understood, including in the aging brain. To address this research gap, 42 young (22.52 ± 3.02 years; 24 in the oxytocin group) and 43 older (71.12 ± 5.25 years; 21 in the oxytocin group) participants were randomized to either self-administer intranasal oxytocin or placebo prior to resting-state functional imaging. The salience network was identified using independent component analysis (ICA). Independent t-tests showed that individuals in the oxytocin compared to the placebo group had lower within-network resting-state functional connectivity, both for left amygdala (MNI coordinates: x = −18, y = 0, z = −15; corrected p < 0.05) within a more ventral salience network and for right insula (MNI coordinates: x = 39, y = 6, z = −6; corrected p < 0.05) within a more dorsal salience network. Age moderation analysis furthermore demonstrated that the oxytocin-reduced functional connectivity between the ventral salience network and the left amygdala was only present in older participants. These findings suggest a modulatory role of exogenous oxytocin on resting-state functional connectivity within the salience network and support age-differential effects of acute intranasal oxytocin administration on this network.
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16
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Kostrzewa-Nowak D, Nowak R, Kubaszewska J, Gos W. Interdisciplinary Approach to Biological and Health Implications in Selected Professional Competences. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020236. [PMID: 35203999 PMCID: PMC8870650 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Everyday life’s hygiene and professional realities, especially in economically developed countries, indicate the need to modify the standards of pro-health programs as well as modern hygiene and work ergonomics programs. These observations are based on the problem of premature death caused by civilization diseases. The biological mechanisms associated with financial risk susceptibility are well described, but there is little data explaining the biological basis of neuroaccounting. Therefore, the aim of the study was to present relationships between personality traits, cognitive competences and biological factors shaping behavioral conditions in a multidisciplinary aspect. This critical review paper is an attempt to compile biological and psychological factors influencing the development of professional competences, especially decent in the area of accounting and finance. We analyzed existing literature from wide range of scientific disciplines (including economics, psychology, behavioral genetics) to create background to pursuit multidisciplinary research models in the field of neuroaccounting. This would help in pointing the best genetically based behavioral profile of future successful financial and accounting specialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Kostrzewa-Nowak
- Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, University of Szczecin, 17C Narutowicza St., 70-240 Szczecin, Poland; (R.N.); (J.K.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Robert Nowak
- Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, University of Szczecin, 17C Narutowicza St., 70-240 Szczecin, Poland; (R.N.); (J.K.)
| | - Joanna Kubaszewska
- Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, University of Szczecin, 17C Narutowicza St., 70-240 Szczecin, Poland; (R.N.); (J.K.)
| | - Waldemar Gos
- Institute of Economy and Finance, University of Szczecin, 64 Mickiewicza St., 71-101 Szczecin, Poland;
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17
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Social Stimulation by the Owner Increases Dogs’ (Canis familiaris) Social Susceptibility in a Food Choice Task—The Possible Effect of Endogenous Oxytocin Release. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12030296. [PMID: 35158620 PMCID: PMC8833464 DOI: 10.3390/ani12030296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests a human-like susceptibility to social influence in dogs. For example, dogs tend to ignore their ‘natural’ preference for the larger amount of food after having seen a human’s explicit preference for a smaller quantity. However, it is still unclear whether this tendency to conform to the partner’s behaviour can be influenced by social stimuli and/or the neurohormone oxytocin as primers to prosocial predispositions. In Experiment I, eighty two dogs were tested using Prato-Previde et al.’s food quantity preference task. In Experiment I, we investigated in a 2 × 2 design how (i) a 10-minute-long social stimulation by the owner versus a socially ignoring pre-treatment as well as (ii) on-line ostensive communications versus no communication during task demonstration affect dogs’ (N = 82) choices in the abovementioned food choice task. Results indicate that the owners’ pre-treatment with social stimuli (eye contact, petting) increased dogs’ susceptibility to the experimenter’s food preference, but the salient ostensive addressing signals accompanying human demonstration masked this social priming effect. In Experiment II, N = 32 dogs from the subjects of Experiment I were retested after oxytocin (OT) or placebo (PL) pre-treatments. This experiment aimed to study whether intranasal administration of oxytocin as compared to placebo treatment would similarly increase dogs’ tendency to re-enact the human demonstrator’s counterproductive choice in the same task. Results showed an increased susceptibility to the human preference in the OT group, suggesting that both socially stimulating pre-treatment and the intranasal administration of oxytocin have similar priming effects on dogs’ social susceptibility.
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18
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What drives public attitudes towards moral bioenhancement and why it matters: an exploratory study. BMC Med Ethics 2021; 22:163. [PMID: 34886854 PMCID: PMC8656088 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-021-00732-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The paper represents an empirical study of public attitudes towards moral bioenhancement. Moral bioenhancement implies the improvement of moral dispositions, i.e. an increase in the moral value of the actions or character of a moral agent. The views of bioethicists and scientists on this topic are present in the ongoing debate, but not the view of the public in general. In order to bridge the gap between the philosophical debate and the view of the public, we have examined attitudes towards moral bioenhancement. The participants were people from Serbia older than 15, who voluntarily completed an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a brief introduction to moral bioenhancement, seven general questions, 25 statements about participants’ attitudes towards moral bioenhancement, and five examples of moral dilemmas. The questionnaire also included questions which were used to reveal their preference of either deontology, or utilitarianism. Participants were asked to what degree they agree or disagree with the statements. The results showed that the means used to achieve moral enhancement, the level of education, and preference for deontology or utilitarianism do have an impact on public attitudes. Using exploratory factor analysis, we isolated four factors that appear to drive the respondents' attitudes toward moral bioenhancement, we named: general—closeness, fear of change, security, and voluntariness. Each factor in relationship to other variables offers new insights that can inform policies and give us a deeper understanding of the public attitudes. We argue that looking into different facets of attitudes towards moral bioenhancement improves the debate, and expands it.
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19
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Berends YR, Tulen JH, Wierdsma AI, de Rijke YB, Kushner SA, van Marle HJ. Oxytocin moderates the association between testosterone-cortisol ratio and trustworthiness: A randomized placebo-controlled study. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 8:100080. [PMID: 35757666 PMCID: PMC9216378 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin has been proposed to enhance feelings of trust, however, these findings have been difficult to replicate. Environmental or hormonal factors might influence this association. We studied whether oxytocin moderates the association between the testosterone-cortisol ratio, which is associated with risk taking behavior and aggression, and trustworthiness, while controlling for the general level of trust. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study with 53 healthy males was performed in which 32IU oxytocin (n = 27) or placebo (n = 26) was administered intranasally. Participants subsequently played the Trust Game in which they were allocated to the role of trustee. In the third phase of the Trust Game, we found a positive association between the testosterone-cortisol-ratio and the proportion of the amount that is returned to the investor (P=<0.01). However, administration of oxytocin reduced reciprocity in those with a high testosterone-cortisol ratio after reciprocity restoration (a significant interaction effect between administration of oxytocin and the testosterone-cortisol ratio in the third phase of the Trust Game, P = 0.015). The third phase of the Trust Game represents the restoration of reciprocity and trustworthiness, after this is violated in the second phase. Therefore, our data suggest that oxytocin might hinder the restoration of trustworthiness and diminish risk-taking behavior when trust is violated, especially in those who are hormonally prone to risk-taking behavior by a high testosterone-cortisol ratio. Oxytocin (32IU) was administered intranasally to healthy young males in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Testosterone-cortisol ratio was positively associated with trustworthiness during the Trust Game. Oxytocin significantly attenuated the association between testosterone-cortisol ratio and trustworthiness.
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20
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Faraji J, Metz GAS. Aging, Social Distancing, and COVID-19 Risk: Who is more Vulnerable and Why? Aging Dis 2021; 12:1624-1643. [PMID: 34631211 PMCID: PMC8460299 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2021.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Perceived social support represents an important predictor of healthy aging. The global COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the face of social relationships and revealed elderly to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of social isolation. Social distancing may represent a double-edged sword for older adults, protecting them against COVID-19 infection while also sacrificing personal interaction and attention at a critical time. Here, we consider the moderating role of social relationships as a potential influence on stress resilience, allostatic load, and vulnerability to infection and adverse health outcomes in the elderly population. Understanding the mechanisms how social support enhances resilience to stress and promotes mental and physical health into old age will enable new preventive strategies. Targeted social interventions may provide effective relief from the impact of COVID-19-related isolation and loneliness. In this regard, a pandemic may also offer a window of opportunity for raising awareness and mobilizing resources for new strategies that help build resilience in our aging population and future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- 1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.,2Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- 1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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21
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Fastman J, Foss-Feig J, Frank Y, Halpern D, Harony-Nicolas H, Layton C, Sandin S, Siper P, Tang L, Trelles P, Zweifach J, Buxbaum JD, Kolevzon A. A randomized controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin in Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Mol Autism 2021; 12:62. [PMID: 34593045 PMCID: PMC8482590 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00459-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the SHANK3 gene and characterized by global developmental delays, deficits in speech and motor function, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Monogenic causes of ASD such as PMS are well suited to investigations with novel therapeutics, as interventions can be targeted based on established genetic etiology. While preclinical studies have demonstrated that the neuropeptide oxytocin can reverse electrophysiological, attentional, and social recognition memory deficits in Shank3-deficient rats, there have been no trials in individuals with PMS. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of intranasal oxytocin as a treatment for the core symptoms of ASD in a cohort of children with PMS. Methods Eighteen children aged 5–17 with PMS were enrolled. Participants were randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (intranasal saline) and underwent treatment during a 12-week double-blind, parallel group phase, followed by a 12-week open-label extension phase during which all participants received oxytocin. Efficacy was assessed using the primary outcome of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Social Withdrawal (ABC-SW) subscale as well as a number of secondary outcome measures related to the core symptoms of ASD. Safety was monitored throughout the study period. Results There was no statistically significant improvement with oxytocin as compared to placebo on the ABC-SW (Mann–Whitney U = 50, p = 0.055), or on any secondary outcome measures, during either the double-blind or open-label phases. Oxytocin was generally well tolerated, and there were no serious adverse events.
Limitations The small sample size, potential challenges with drug administration, and expectancy bias due to relying on parent reported outcome measures may all contribute to limitations in interpreting results. Conclusion Our results suggest that intranasal oxytocin is not efficacious in improving the core symptoms of ASD in children with PMS. Trial registration NCT02710084. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00459-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Fastman
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - J Foss-Feig
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Y Frank
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - D Halpern
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - H Harony-Nicolas
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - C Layton
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - S Sandin
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - P Siper
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - L Tang
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - P Trelles
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - J Zweifach
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - J D Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - A Kolevzon
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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22
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Liu Y, Wang D, Li H. Oxytocin Modulates Neural Individuation/Categorization Processing of Faces in Early Face-Selective Areas. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1159-1169. [PMID: 34427292 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab277] [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: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is known as a neuropeptide that promotes social adaptation. Individuating racial in-group members and viewing racial out-groups in categories is an adaptive strategy that evolved to aid effective social interaction. Nevertheless, whether OT modulates the neural individuation/categorization processing of racial in-group and out-group faces remain unknown. After intranasal OT or placebo administration, 46 male participants (OT: 24, placebo: 22) were presented with face pairs with the same or different identities or races in rapid succession. The neural repetition suppression (RS) effects to identity and race were measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as indices of individuation/categorization face-processing. The results showed that while OT increased the RS effect to race, it decreased the RS effect to identity in the right fusiform face area. As for the left occipital face area, OT enlarged the differential RS effects to identities of in-group and out-group faces. Additionally, OT modulated the association of interdependence self-construal and the RS effects on identity and race. These findings bring to light preliminary evidence that OT can regulate neuronal specificity of identity and race in early face-selective regions and benefit adaptive individuation/categorization face-processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Ding Wang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Hong Li
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
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Tapias-Espinosa C, Cañete T, Sampedro-Viana D, Brudek T, Kaihøj A, Oliveras I, Tobeña A, Aznar S, Fernández-Teruel A. Oxytocin attenuates schizophrenia-like reduced sensorimotor gating in outbred and inbred rats in line with strain differences in CD38 gene expression. Physiol Behav 2021; 240:113547. [PMID: 34364851 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response is a measure of sensorimotor gating that is impaired in many clinical conditions, including schizophrenia. The inbred Roman high-avoidance (RHA) rats, compared to their low-avoidance (RLA) counterparts, show distinct schizophrenia-like phenotypes, such as spontaneous deficits in PPI accompanied by decreased medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity and volume. Schizophrenia-like deficits are usually attenuated by antipsychotic drugs, but these drugs often produce severe side effects. In order to reduce these side effects, the neuropeptide oxytocin has been proposed as an alternative natural antipsychotic for schizophrenia. Here, we examined the effects of peripheral oxytocin administration (saline, 0.04, and 0.2 mg/kg) on PPI in the RHA vs. RLA rats, as well as in the outbred heterogeneous stock (HS) rats. Our results showed that oxytocin increased PPI in the HS rats and attenuated PPI deficits in the RHA rats, but it did not significantly affect PPI in the RLAs. To explore whether these divergent effects were associated with differences in oxytocinergic mechanisms, we analyzed gene expression of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and the regulator of oxytocin release (CD38) in the mPFC of the Roman rats. Consistent with the differential oxytocin effects on PPI (RHA > RLA), constitutive CD38 expression was reduced in the RHA rats compared to the RLAs, while oxytocin administration increased OXTR expression in both strains. Overall, the present work reveals that oxytocin administration shows antipsychotic-like effects on PPI in outbred and inbred rats, and it suggests that these effects may be related to basal differences in oxytocin-mediated mechanisms in the mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Tapias-Espinosa
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Toni Cañete
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Sampedro-Viana
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomasz Brudek
- Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Kaihøj
- Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ignasi Oliveras
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adolf Tobeña
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Aznar
- Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Alberto Fernández-Teruel
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Henningsson S, Leknes S, Asperholm M, Eikemo M, Westberg L. A randomized placebo-controlled intranasal oxytocin study on first impressions and reactions to social rejection. Biol Psychol 2021; 164:108164. [PMID: 34331996 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin is central to pair-bonding in non-human animals. We assessed effects of intranasal oxytocin on bond formation between two opposite-sex strangers. In a double-blind placebo-controlled design, 50 pairs of one man and one woman received oxytocin or placebo spray intranasally. After treatment, they played a social interaction game, followed by tasks designed to measure first impressions of the opposite-sex co-participant, and a virtual ball-tossing game (cyberball), designed to measure reactions to rejection by the co-participant. We found no evidence that intranasal oxytocin can improve first impressions of an opposite-sex stranger, and some Bayesian support against this hypothesis. For rejection sensitivity, we observed a sex-and-context-dependent drug effect on post-ostracism mood ratings, consistent with recent studies indicating that interindividual variation and social context can interact with intranasal oxytocin effects. Further research is needed to determine the generalisability of these findings, i.e. if oxytocin can improve first impressions in humans under different conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Henningsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, POB 431, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, POB 1094, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Martin Asperholm
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, POB 1094, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Marie Eikemo
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, POB 1094, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars Westberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, POB 431, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
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25
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Grahn P, Ottosson J, Uvnäs-Moberg K. The Oxytocinergic System as a Mediator of Anti-stress and Instorative Effects Induced by Nature: The Calm and Connection Theory. Front Psychol 2021; 12:617814. [PMID: 34290636 PMCID: PMC8286993 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.617814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Ever more research results demonstrate that human health and wellbeing are positively affected by stays in and/or exposure to natural areas, which leads, among other things, to a reduction in high stress levels. However, according to the studies, these natural areas must meet certain qualities. The qualities that are considered to be most health promoting are those that humans perceive in a positive way. Theories about how natural areas can reduce people's stress levels and improve their coping skills have mainly focused on how certain natural areas that are perceived as safe reduce the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and consequent reduction of cortisol levels. This article discusses studies containing descriptions of how participants in rehabilitation perceive and react to natural phenomena. The common core variable in the analyzed studies was the experience of calm and connection, and this experience was associated with a reduction in stress levels and with being able to develop health and coping skills. We suggest that this experience provides a possible role for the oxytocinergic system to act as a physiological mediator for the positive and health-promoting effects in humans caused by nature. The theory is mainly based on analogies framed by theories and data from the fields of environmental psychology, horticulture, landscape architecture, medicine, and neuroscience. Oxytocin promotes different kinds of social interaction and bonding and exerts stress-reducing and healing effects. We propose that oxytocin is released by certain natural phenomena experienced as positive to decrease the levels of fear and stress, increase levels of trust and wellbeing, and possibly develop attachment or bonding to nature. By these effects, oxytocin will induce health-promoting effects. In situations characterized by low levels of fear and stress in response to release of oxytocin, the capacity for "growth" or psychological development might also be promoted. Such an instorative effect of nature, i.e., the capacity of nature to promote reorientation and the creation of new coping strategies, might hence represent an additional aspect of the oxytocin-linked effect profile, triggered in connection with certain nature phenomena. We conclude by proposing that the stress-relieving, health-promoting, restorative, and instorative effects of nature may involve activation of the oxytocinergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Grahn
- Department of People and Society, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Johan Ottosson
- Department of People and Society, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Section of Anthrozoology and Applied Ethology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden
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Spence C. The scent of attraction and the smell of success: crossmodal influences on person perception. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2021; 6:46. [PMID: 34173932 PMCID: PMC8233629 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-021-00311-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, there has been an explosion of research into the crossmodal influence of olfactory cues on multisensory person perception. Numerous peer-reviewed studies have documented that a variety of olfactory stimuli, from ambient malodours through to fine fragrances, and even a range of chemosensory body odours can influence everything from a perceiver's judgments of another person's attractiveness, age, affect, health/disease status, and even elements of their personality. The crossmodal and multisensory contributions to such effects are reviewed and the limitations/peculiarities of the research that have been published to date are highlighted. At the same time, however, it is important to note that the presence of scent (and/or the absence of malodour) can also influence people's (i.e., a perceiver's) self-confidence which may, in turn, affect how attractive they appear to others. Several potential cognitive mechanisms have been put forward to try and explain such crossmodal/multisensory influences, and some of the neural substrates underpinning these effects have now been characterized. At the end of this narrative review, a number of the potential (and actual) applications for, and implications of, such crossmodal/multisensory phenomena involving olfaction are outlined briefly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Spence
- Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Oxford, OX2 6BW, UK.
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Constanthin PE, Isidor N, de Seigneux S, Momjian S. Increased oxytocin release precedes hyponatremia after pituitary surgery. Pituitary 2021; 24:420-428. [PMID: 33506439 PMCID: PMC8119398 DOI: 10.1007/s11102-020-01121-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) is a well-known complication of transsphenoidal pituitary surgery, related to inappropriate secretion of arginine vasopressin (AVP). Its diagnosis is based on hyponatremia, with a peak of occurrence around day 7 after surgery and, to date, no early marker has been reported. In particular, copeptin levels are not predictive of hyponatremia in this case. Oxytocin (OXT) is secreted into the peripheral blood by axon terminals adjacent to those of AVP neurons in the posterior pituitary. Besides its role in childbirth and lactation, recent evidences suggested a role for OXT in sodium balance. The contribution of this hormone in the dysnatremias observed after pituitary surgery has however never been investigated. METHODS We analyzed the urinary output of OXT in patients subjected to transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. RESULTS While OXT excretion remained stable in patients who presented a normonatremic postoperative course, patients who were later diagnosed with SIADH-related hyponatremia presented with a significantly increased urinary secretion of OXT 4 days after surgery. CONCLUSION Taken together, these results show for the first time that urinary OXT output remains normally stable after transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. OXT excretion however becomes abnormally high on or around 4 days after surgery in patients later developing hyponatremia, suggesting that this abnormal dynamics of OXT secretion might serve as an early marker for transsphenoidal surgery-related hyponatremia attributed to SIADH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Eugène Constanthin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Genève (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Isidor
- Clinical Investigation Unit, Clinical Research Center, University of Geneva, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sophie de Seigneux
- Department of Nephrology, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Shahan Momjian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Genève (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland.
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Risso P, Maggioni E, Gallace A. A preliminary study on the effect of gender‐matched odours on the evaluation of emotional, cognitive and aesthetic characteristics of faces. FLAVOUR FRAG J 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ffj.3653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Risso
- Department of Psychology Milan Center for Neuroscience University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
- Bicocca cEnter of Science and Technology for FOOD – BEST4FOOD Milano Italy
- Bicocca Mind and behavior Technological Center – MibTec Milano Italy
- Bicocca Center for Applied Psychology – BiCApP Milano Italy
| | | | - Alberto Gallace
- Department of Psychology Milan Center for Neuroscience University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
- Bicocca cEnter of Science and Technology for FOOD – BEST4FOOD Milano Italy
- Bicocca Mind and behavior Technological Center – MibTec Milano Italy
- Bicocca Center for Applied Psychology – BiCApP Milano Italy
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29
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Wen F, Zuo B, Wang Y, Ma S, Song S, Zhang H. Non-Pregnant and Pregnant Women's Femininity Preferences in Male Faces: Tests Based on Within- and Between-Sex Sexual Dimorphism Facial Manipulations. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:531-541. [PMID: 33398708 PMCID: PMC7889572 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01868-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Past research on women's preferences for male facial masculinity in Western cultures has produced inconsistent results. Some inconsistency may be related to the use of different facial stimulus manipulations (e.g., between-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation or within-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation) that do not perfectly avoid non-facial cues, and pregnancy status may also influence women's face preferences. We therefore recruited pregnant and nonpregnant Chinese women and manipulated the sexual dimorphism of male facial stimuli to explore the influences of manipulation methods, non-facial cues, and pregnancy status on face preferences. Results showed that: (1) in contrast with a general masculinity preference observed in Western cultures, both pregnant and nonpregnant Chinese women preferred feminized and neutral male faces generally; (2) pregnant women's preference for feminized male faces was stable across manipulation methods, while nonpregnant women preferred feminized male faces except under between-sex sexual dimorphism manipulation; and (3) manipulation methods, rather than non-facial cues, influenced participants' face preferences. Specifically, women showed the strongest preferences for femininity when face stimuli were manipulated by within-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation, followed by unmanipulated faces and between-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation. This effect was stronger for nonpregnant women in the unmanipulated condition and for pregnant women in the between-sex sexual dimorphic facial manipulation. This research provides empirical evidence of women's preferences for sexual dimorphism in male faces in a non-Western culture, as well as the effects of facial manipulation methods, pregnancy status, and the interactions between these factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Wen
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Bin Zuo
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Yang Wang
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Shuhan Ma
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Shijie Song
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Hongxia Zhang
- Xiantao First People's Hospital of Hubei Province, Xiantao, China
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Mizuki R, Fujiwara T. Association Between Accumulation of Child Maltreatment and Salivary Oxytocin Level Among Japanese Adolescents. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:710718. [PMID: 34912756 PMCID: PMC8667668 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.710718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Child maltreatment is related to oxytocin (OT), which is related to social functioning. It may hamper the OT level to avoid a harmful situation and increase the OT level to adapt to the situation using a tend-and-befriend stress reaction. Objective: This study aims to examine the association between the accumulation of moderate-severe childhood maltreatment and salivary OT levels in Japanese adolescents. Participants: We used convenience samples of adolescents living in an institution (n = 31) and those living with their parents (n = 46). Methods: Child maltreatment experiences were measured with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. The salivary OT levels were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to see the association between the accumulation of child maltreatment types and the salivary OT levels adjusted for covariates (i.e., age, sex, and duration of institutionalization). Results: Physical abuse was associated with higher OT, while emotional neglect showed an inverse association with OT. OT was the lowest with one maltreatment type group, which was significantly lower than the non-maltreatment group. As the number of maltreatment types increased from one maltreatment type to 2-3 types and to 4-5 types, OT also increased. This U-shaped association between the number of maltreatment types and OT was confirmed with the significant result of a square term of number of maltreatment type in the model (p = 0.012). Conclusion: We found herein a U-shaped association between the accumulation of child maltreatment and salivary OT levels. Also, different types of maltreatment had varied effects on the salivary OT. Further study is needed to elucidate the non-linear association between child maltreatment and OT levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rie Mizuki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Takeo Fujiwara
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
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Combined Oxytocin and Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training for Social Function in People With Schizophrenia. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2021; 41:236-243. [PMID: 33783399 PMCID: PMC8887701 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000001397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A significant proportion of people with schizophrenia are characterized by impaired ability to socially engage with others. The development of effective interventions for social functioning remains a central therapeutic challenge. Cognitive-behavioral social skills training (CBSST) has been found to improve social functioning in schizophrenia, but with only medium effect sizes. Intranasal oxytocin also has prosocial effects, but also only with modest effect sizes. This study assessed whether the addition of intranasal oxytocin to CBSST can strengthen their impact on social function. METHODS Participants (N = 62) with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder entered a 24-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial with a 3-month follow-up evaluation at 2 sites: Maryland and San Diego. Participants were randomized to either intranasal oxytocin 36 IU (3 sprays) twice a day (n = 31) or intranasal placebo-oxytocin (3 sprays) twice a day (n = 31). All participants received CBSST plus a social cognition skills training module (48 total sessions). RESULTS There were no significant treatment group differences in social functioning, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, defeatist beliefs, or asocial beliefs. The interpretation of treatment effects was complicated by site effects, whereby participants in San Diego began the trial with greater severity of impairments and subsequently showed greater improvements compared with participants in Maryland. CONCLUSIONS The results did not support the utility of add-on intranasal oxytocin to psychosocial rehabilitation interventions like CBSST for improvement in social function (ClinicalTrials.gov trial number: NCT01752712).
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Pfundmair M, Berthold V. Oxytocin makes inexperienced men more selective in their dating strategy. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2020; 4:100017. [PMID: 35755624 PMCID: PMC9216677 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Daniels N, Prinsen J, Soriano JR, Alaerts K. Oxytocin enhances the recovery of eye-contact induced autonomic arousal: A treatment mechanism study with placebo-controlled design. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 39:87-98. [PMID: 32868176 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is suggested to exert a pivotal role in a variety of complex human behaviors, including trust, attachment, social perception and fear regulation. Previous studies have demonstrated that intranasal administration of OT reduces subjective and neuroendocrine stress responses and dampens amygdala reactivity. OT has also been proposed to modulate activity of the autonomic nervous system. Here, a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study (with parallel design) was conducted with 56 healthy adult men to investigate whether a single-dose of OT (24 IU) modulates sympathetic autonomic arousal upon live dyadic gaze interactions. To do so, electrodermal recordings of skin conductance were performed during the engagement of eye contact with a live model in a two-person social context. In accordance to prior research, direct eye gaze elicited a significant enhancement in skin conductance responses, but OT did not specifically enhance or dampen the overall magnitude (amplitude) of the skin conductance response. Administration of OT did facilitate the recovery of skin conductance responses back to baseline (reduced recovery time), indicating a role of OT in restoring homeostatic balance. Notably, the treatment-effect on autonomic recovery was most prominent in participants with low self-reported social responsiveness, indicating that person-dependent factors play an important role in determining OT treatment-responses. Exploratory, it was shown that OT also significantly reduced self-reported feelings of tension and (at trend-level) worrying about how one presents oneself. Together, these observations add further evidence to a role of OT in modulating activity of the autonomic nervous system, primarily by facilitating a restoration of homeostatic balance after stimulus-induced increases in sympathetically-driven autonomic arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Daniels
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jellina Prinsen
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Javier R Soriano
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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Womersley JS, Hemmings SMJ, Ziegler C, Gutridge A, Ahmed-Leitao F, Rosenstein D, Domschke K, Seedat S. Childhood emotional neglect and oxytocin receptor variants: Association with limbic brain volumes. World J Biol Psychiatry 2020; 21:513-528. [PMID: 30806136 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2019.1584331] [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] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Childhood emotional neglect (EN) is a predictor for the development of affective disorders. Oxytocin (OXT) may mediate the interplay between EN and changes in stress biological systems, brain development, and mental health outcomes. We investigated, in a cross-sectional study, the associations between EN, (epi)genetic variation in the OXT receptor (OXTR) gene, and amygdalar and hippocampal volumes, two brain regions implicated in emotional processing.Methods: We recruited 63 Caucasian South African adults (35 women) with and without social anxiety disorder. Childhood EN was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. rs53576 and rs2254298 genotypes, as well as methylation status, was determined using DNA purified from whole blood. Bilateral amygdalar and hippocampal volumes were determined by structural magnetic resonance imaging. The relationships between these variables were investigated using linear regression.Results: The interaction of the rs2254298 A risk allele and EN was nominally associated with reduced left hippocampal volume. The rs2254298 A risk allele was independently associated with reduced bilateral amygdalar volumes. We found no association between EN, OXTR methylation and amygdalar or hippocampal volumes. The rs53576 GG risk genotype was, however, associated with decreased OXTR methylation.Conclusions: The rs2254298 A allele may increase susceptibility to the structural brain effects of EN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Samantha Womersley
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa
| | - Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa
| | - Christiane Ziegler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 70104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ashley Gutridge
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa
| | - Fatima Ahmed-Leitao
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa
| | - David Rosenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 70104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa
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35
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Butovskaya M, Rostovtseva V, Butovskaya P, Burkova V, Dronova D, Filatova V, Sukhodolskaya E, Vasiliev V, Mesa T, Rosa A, Lazebny O. Oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism (rs53576) and digit ratio associates with aggression: comparison in seven ethnic groups. J Physiol Anthropol 2020; 39:20. [PMID: 32795360 PMCID: PMC7427763 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-020-00232-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The specific role of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene polymorphisms in emotional support seeking, related to social norms and culturally normative behavior, has been discussed in several studies. Evidence on the association between aggression and OXTR polymorphisms has also been reported. The goal of the current study was to analyze the effect of the OXTR rs53576 polymorphism, prenatal testosterone effect (second-to-fourth digit ratio, or 2D:4D), and culture on aggression assessed with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Methods The data were collected in Russia and Tanzania and included seven ethnic groups of European, Asian, and African origin. The total sample included 1705 adults (837 males, 868 females). All the subjects were evaluated with the BPAQ. As a measure of prenatal androgenization, the second and fourth digits were measured directly from hand, and the digit ratios were calculated. All the participants provided buccal samples, from which genomic DNA was extracted, and the OXTR gene rs53576 polymorphism was genotyped. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.0; the alpha level for all analyses was set at 0.05. Results The ethnic group factor was the most significant predictor of ratings on BPAQ (medium effect size for physical aggression, anger and hostility scales, and low for verbal aggression). To study the effect of sex, the OXTR polymorphism, and prenatal androgenization, we conducted the z-score transformation for BPAQ scales and 2D:4D for each ethnic group and pooled these data into new z-score variables. According to the GLM analysis after leveling the effects of culture (z-transformation), all four scales of BPAQ demonstrated association with sex (main effects), with men scoring higher on physical and verbal aggression and women scoring higher on anger and hostility. Anger and hostility scales were also associated with OXTR polymorphism and 2D:4D of the right hand. The lowest levels of anger and hostility were observed in individuals with the AA genotype, especially in men. Conclusions Our data suggest that both oxytocin (OXTR gene polymorphism) and fetal testosterone (2D:4D) may significantly affect emotional (anger) and cognitive (hostility) aggression in humans, given the leveling the role of culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Butovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 32a, 119991, Moscow, Russia. .,National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Victoria Rostovtseva
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 32a, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Valentina Burkova
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 32a, 119991, Moscow, Russia.,National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria Dronova
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 32a, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vasilisa Filatova
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 32a, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Eugenia Sukhodolskaya
- Federal Budget Institution of Science "Central Research Institute of Epidemiology" of The Federal Service on Customers' Rights Protection and Human Well-being Surveillance, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vasiliy Vasiliev
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tania Mesa
- Secció de Zoologia i Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Araceli Rosa
- Secció de Zoologia i Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oleg Lazebny
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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Spanos M, Chandrasekhar T, Kim SJ, Hamer RM, King BH, McDougle CJ, Sanders KB, Gregory SG, Kolevzon A, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Sikich L. Rationale, design, and methods of the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) network Study of Oxytocin in Autism to improve Reciprocal Social Behaviors (SOARS-B). Contemp Clin Trials 2020; 98:106103. [PMID: 32777383 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2020.106103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the rationale, design, and methods of the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) network Study of Oxytocin in Autism to improve Reciprocal Social Behaviors (SOARS-B). METHOD This phase 2 clinical trial was designed to evaluate the use of intranasal oxytocin treatment to improve social difficulties in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In total, 290 participants ages 3 to 17 years with a DSM-5 diagnosis of ASD were enrolled to receive 24 weeks of treatment with either oxytocin or a matched placebo at one of seven collaborating sites. Participants were subsequently treated with open-label oxytocin for 24 additional weeks. Post-treatment assessments were done approximately 4 weeks after treatment discontinuation. Plasma oxytocin and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) methylation level were measured at baseline, and week 8, 24 and 36 to explore potential relationships between these biomarkers and treatment response. RESULTS This report describes the rationale, design, and methods of the SOARS-B clinical trial. CONCLUSIONS There is a tremendous unmet need for safe and effective pharmacological treatment options that target the core symptoms of ASD. Several studies support the hypothesis that intranasal oxytocin could improve social orienting and the salience of social rewards in ASD, thereby enhancing reciprocal social behaviors. However, due to conflicting results from a number of pilot studies on the prosocial effects of exogenous oxytocin, this hypothesis remains controversial and inconclusive. SOARS-B is the best powered study to date to address this hypothesis and promises to improve our understanding of the safety and efficacy of intranasal oxytocin in the treatment of social deficits in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Spanos
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America.
| | - Tara Chandrasekhar
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Soo-Jeong Kim
- Seattle Children's Autism Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington; Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Robert M Hamer
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Bryan H King
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Christopher J McDougle
- Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Kevin B Sanders
- Neuroscience Product Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simon G Gregory
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute; Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, United States of America
| | - Linmarie Sikich
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
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Neto ML, Antunes M, Lopes M, Ferreira D, Rilling J, Prata D. Oxytocin and vasopressin modulation of prisoner's dilemma strategies. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:891-900. [PMID: 32207359 PMCID: PMC7583454 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120913145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin have been repeatedly implicated in social decision making by enhancing social salience and, generally, cooperation. The iterated and sequential version of the prisoner's dilemma (PD) game is a social dilemma paradigm eliciting strategies of cooperation versus competition. AIMS We aimed to characterise the role of PD players' sex, game partner type (computer vs. human) and oxytocin or vasopressin inhalation on the player's strategy preference. METHODS Participants (153 men; 151 women) were randomised to intranasal 24 IU oxytocin, 20 IU vasopressin or placebo, double-blind, and played the PD. We examined main and interactive effects of sex, drug and partner type on strategy preference. RESULTS We found a pervasive preference for a tit-for-tat strategy (i.e. general sensitivity to the partner's choices) over unconditional cooperation, particularly when against a human rather than a computer partner. Oxytocin doubled this sensitivity in women (i.e. the preference for tit-for-tat over unconditional cooperation strategies) when playing against computers, which suggests a tendency to anthropomorphise them, and doubled women's unconditional cooperation preference when playing against humans. Vasopressin doubled sensitivity to the partner's previous choices (i.e. for tit-for-tat over unconditional cooperation) across sexes and partner types. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that women may be more sensitive to oxytocin's social effects of anthropomorphism of non-humans and of unconditional cooperation with humans, which may be consistent with evolutionary pressures for maternal care, and that vasopressin, irrespective of sex and partner type, may be generally sensitising humans to others' behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Leonor Neto
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Marília Antunes
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações e Departamento de Estatística e Investigação Operacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Manuel Lopes
- INESC-ID, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Duarte Ferreira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - James Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Diana Prata
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisbon, Portugal
- Diana Prata, Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Mierop A, Mikolajczak M, Stahl C, Béna J, Luminet O, Lane A, Corneille O. How Can Intranasal Oxytocin Research Be Trusted? A Systematic Review of the Interactive Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Psychosocial Outcomes. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 15:1228-1242. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691620921525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, research about the role of oxytocin (OT) in human behavior has grown exponentially. However, a unified theory of OT effects has yet to be developed. Relatedly, growing concerns about the robustness of conclusions drawn in the field have been raised. The current article contributes to this debate by reporting on and discussing key conclusions from a systematic review of published studies addressing the interactive effects of intranasal OT (IN-OT) administration on psychosocial outcomes in a healthy population. The review indicates that (a) tested interactive IN-OT effects were highly heterogeneous; (b) for most published interactions, no replication was attempted; (c) when attempted, replications were largely unsuccessful; (d) significance was unrelated to sample size; (e) statistical power was critically low and unrelated to the rate of significant results; and (f) research practices were characteristic of an exploratory approach. This concerning state of affairs makes it virtually impossible to tease apart true from false interactive IN-OT effects. We provide constructive directions on the basis of this observation and positive predictive value simulations for future research that should help extract true effects from noise and move the IN-OT field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Mierop
- Research Institute of Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain
| | | | - C. Stahl
- Department of Psychology, University of Cologne
| | - J. Béna
- Le Laboratoire Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie, University of Toulouse, CNRS
| | - O. Luminet
- Research Institute of Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain
- Fund for Scientific Research, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A. Lane
- Research Institute of Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain
| | - O. Corneille
- Research Institute of Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain
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Exogenous effects of oxytocin in five psychiatric disorders: a systematic review, meta-analyses and a personalized approach through the lens of the social salience hypothesis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 114:70-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Yu X, Dong Y, Li Z, Fang Y, Wu S, Wang C, He S. Work Stress and General Trust: The Mediating Effect of Depression and the Moderating Effect of the OXTR Gene rs53576. J Affect Disord 2020; 272:283-288. [PMID: 32553369 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Work stress has been proved to be linked to depression, and both can decrease general trust. Likewise, OXTR gene is currently the gene that is most closely associated with trust. However, few empirical studies have explored the significant role of gene-environment interactions on general trust. In this study, we explored the mediating role of depression in the relationship between work stress and general trust, and the moderating role of the OXTR rs 53576 in the mediation model. METHODS 364 healthy Han Chinese faculties were recruited from one university in Beijing. Work stress, depression, and general trust were assessed using the House and Rizzo's Work Stress Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the General Trust Questionnaire, respectively. Blood samples were collected for OXTR rs53576 genotyping. RESULTS Depression mediated the relationship between work stress and general trust. In the mediation model, OXTR rs53576 could only moderated the direct path from work stress to general trust. For AA and GA individuals, depression completely mediated the relationship between work stress and general trust. For GG individuals, depression partly mediated the relationship between work stress and general trust. LIMITATIONS This study used a cross-sectional design, only considered Han Chinese faculties, and the role of other genes should be explored. CONCLUSIONS Depression has a mediating effect between work stress and general trust. The general trust levels of GG genotype individuals are more prone to be affected by work stress than AA and GA individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqi Yu
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, 59# Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, 59# Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China.
| | - Zheneng Li
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, 59# Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, 59# Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Shuang Wu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5# Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871
| | - Chao Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5# Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871
| | - Shuchang He
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5# Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871.
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Huron D, Vuoskoski JK. On the Enjoyment of Sad Music: Pleasurable Compassion Theory and the Role of Trait Empathy. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1060. [PMID: 32547455 PMCID: PMC7270397 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Drawing on recent empirical studies on the enjoyment of nominally sad music, a general theory of the pleasure of tragic or sad portrayals is presented. Not all listeners enjoy sad music. Multiple studies indicate that those individuals who enjoy sad music exhibit a particular pattern of empathic traits. These individuals score high on empathic concern (compassion) and high on imaginative absorption (fantasy), with only nominal personal distress (commiseration). Empirical studies are reviewed implicating compassion as a positively valenced affect. Accordingly, individuals who most enjoy sad musical portrayals experience a pleasurable prosocial affect (compassion), amplified by empathetic engagement (fantasy), while experiencing only nominal levels of unpleasant emotional contagion (commiseration). It is suggested that this pattern of trait empathy may apply more broadly, accounting for many other situations where spectators experience pleasure when exposed to tragic representations or portrayals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Huron
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences & School of Music, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jonna K. Vuoskoski
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Musicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Sun R, Vuillier L, Deakin J, Kogan A. Oxytocin increases emotional theory of mind, but only for low socioeconomic status individuals. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03540. [PMID: 32258453 PMCID: PMC7103769 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have linked oxytocin to emotional theory of mind (eToM) — the ability to recognise and understand others' emotions. However, multiple replications have so far failed to reach a consistent result. Growing evidence suggests that oxytocin's positive effects on social-emotional tasks such as eToM are highly dependent on trait-level individual differences. In the present study, we theorised that socioeconomic status (SES) could influence oxytocin's impact on emotional mentalising processes. We tested our hypothesis in a double-blind between–subjects oxytocin nasal spray study on 147 Caucasian white male participants in the United Kingdom. In accordance with our hypothesis, we found that oxytocin (as compared to placebo) did boost emotional theory of mind, but only in people from low subjective SES backgrounds. Our results expand existing theory on how individual differences moderate oxytocin's role on social behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Sun
- University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Sindermann C, Luo R, Becker B, Kendrick KM, Montag C. The role of oxytocin on self-serving lying. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01518. [PMID: 31930678 PMCID: PMC7010580 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The effects of intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin on social cognition and behavior are highly specific. Potentially situational and personal variables influence these effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of oxytocin administration on self-serving lying, including situational effects. METHODS A total of 161 adult males participated in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled between-subject intranasal oxytocin administration (24 international units) study. Self-serving lying was assessed using three subsequent rounds of the die-in-a-cup paradigm, in which different degrees of lying can be implemented by the participants that can be determined on group level. RESULTS Oxytocin administration seemed to promote self-serving lying, particularly in the third (last) round and only to a certain degree (not to the maximum possible). CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that oxytocin administration can promote self-serving lying when given repeated opportunities to lie. Moreover, exploratory results presented in the Supplementary Material indicate that the sensitivity to the effects of intranasal oxytocin in this domain might be moderated by individual differences in the oxytocin receptor gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Sindermann
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ruixue Luo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.,The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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Skvortsova A, Veldhuijzen DS, Pacheco-Lopez G, Bakermans-Kranenburg M, van IJzendoorn M, Smeets MAM, Wilderjans TF, Dahan A, van den Bergh O, Chavannes NH, van der Wee NJA, Grewen KM, van Middendorp H, Evers AWM. Placebo Effects in the Neuroendocrine System: Conditioning of the Oxytocin Responses. Psychosom Med 2020; 82:47-56. [PMID: 31609920 PMCID: PMC6946094 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2009] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is evidence that placebo effects may influence hormone secretion. However, few studies have examined placebo effects in the endocrine system, including oxytocin placebo effects. We studied whether it is possible to trigger oxytocin placebo effects using a classical conditioning paradigm. METHODS Ninety-nine women were assigned to a conditioned, control, or drug control group. In the two-phase conditioning paradigm, participants in the conditioned and drug control groups received an oxytocin nasal spray combined with a distinctive smell (conditioned stimulus [CS]) for three acquisition days, whereas the control group received placebo spray. Subsequently, the conditioned and control groups received placebo spray with the CS and the drug control group received oxytocin spray for three evocation days. Salivary oxytocin was measured several times during each day. Pain sensitivity and facial evaluation tests previously used in oxytocin research were also administered. RESULTS On evocation day 1, in the conditioned group, oxytocin significantly increased from baseline to 5 minutes after CS (B[slope] = 19.55, SE = 5.88, p < .001) and remained increased from 5 to 20 (B = -10.42, SE = 5.81, p = .071) and 50 minutes (B = -0.70, SE = 3.37, p = .84). On evocation day 2, a trend for increase in oxytocin was found at 5 minutes (B = 15.22, SE = 8.14, p = .062). No placebo effect was found on evocation day 3 (B = 3.57, SE = 3.26, p = .28). Neither exogenous nor conditioned oxytocin affected pain or facial tasks. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that oxytocin release can be conditioned and that this response extinguishes over time. Triggering hormonal release by placebo manipulation offers various clinical possibilities, such as enhancing effects of pharmacological treatments or reducing dosages of medications. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was registered as a clinical trial on www.trialregister.nl (number NTR5596).
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandrina Skvortsova
- From the Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit (Skvortsova, Veldhuijzen, Pacheco-Lopez, van Middendorp, Evers), Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (Skvortsova, Veldhuijzen, Pacheco-Lopez, Bakermans-Kranenburg, Wilderjans, van Middendorp, Evers), Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Health Sciences (Pacheco-Lopez), Metropolitan Autonomous University, Campus Lerma, Lerma, Edo. Mex., Mexico; Leiden Consortium on Individual Development (Bakermans-Kranenburg), Leiden University, Leiden; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies (van IJzendoorn), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Primary Care Unit (van IJzendoorn), School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Social, Health, and Organizational Psychology (Smeets), Utrecht University, Utrecht; Methodology and Statistics Research Unit (Wilderjans), Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences (Wilderjans), University of Leuven - KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Anaesthesiology (Dahan), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Health Psychology (van den Bergh), University of Leuven - KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Departments of Public Health and Primary Care (Chavannes) and Psychiatry (van der Wee, Evers), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; and Department of Psychiatry (Grewen), University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina
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Fu Y, Depue RA. A novel neurobehavioral framework of the effects of positive early postnatal experience on incentive and consummatory reward sensitivity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:615-640. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Pavarini G, Sun R, Mahmoud M, Cross I, Schnall S, Fischer A, Deakin J, Ziauddeen H, Kogan A, Vuillier L. The role of oxytocin in the facial mimicry of affiliative vs. non-affiliative emotions. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 109:104377. [PMID: 31493677 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The present paper builds upon a growing body of work documenting oxytocin's role in social functioning, to test whether this hormone facilitates spontaneous mimicry of others' emotional expressions. In a double-blind, randomized trial, adult Caucasian males (n = 145) received a nasal spray of either oxytocin or placebo before completing a facial mimicry task. Facial expressions were coded using automated face analysis. Oxytocin increased mimicry of facial features of sadness (lips and chin, but not areas around the eyes), an affiliative reaction that facilitates social bonding. Oxytocin also increased mimicry of happiness, but only for individuals who expressed low levels of happiness in response to neutral faces. Overall, participants did not reliably mimic expressions of fear and anger, echoing recent theoretical accounts of emotional mimicry as dependent on the social context. In sum, our findings suggest that oxytocin facilitates emotional mimicry in ways that are conducive to affiliation, pointing to a possible pathway through which oxytocin promotes social bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pavarini
- Centre for Music and Science, University of Cambridge, 11 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DP, United Kingdom.
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom.
| | - Marwa Mahmoud
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, William Gates Building, 15 JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge CB3 0FD, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Cross
- Centre for Music and Science, University of Cambridge, 11 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DP, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Schnall
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Agneta Fischer
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, Amsterdam 1018 WV, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Deakin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Hisham Ziauddeen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB21 5EF, United Kingdom
| | - Aleksandr Kogan
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Vuillier
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom.
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47
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Abstract
Trust is fundamental for the stability of human society. A large part of the experimental literature relies on the Trust Game as the workhorse to measure individual differences in trust and trustworthiness. In this review we highlight the difficulties and limitations of this popular paradigm, as well as the relations to alternative instruments ranging from survey measures to neurochemical manipulations and neuroimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alós-Ferrer
- Department of Economics, Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Federica Farolfi
- Department of Economics, Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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48
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van Nieuwenburg D, de Groot JHB, Smeets MAM. The Subtle Signaling Strength of Smells: A Masked Odor Enhances Interpersonal Trust. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1890. [PMID: 31481913 PMCID: PMC6710396 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Most everyday smells, from lavender to body odors, are complex odorant mixtures that “host” particular compounds that guide (social) behavior and motivation (biomarkers). A key element of social behavior is interpersonal trust, and building on previous research showing that (i) lavender odor can enhance trust, and that (ii) certain compounds in body odor can reduce stress in mice and humans (called “social buffering”), we examined whether a grassy-smelling compound found in both body odors and lavender, hexanal, would enhance interpersonal trust. Notably, we applied odor masking to explore whether trust could be influenced subconsciously by masked (i.e., undetectable) hexanal. In Study 1 (between-subjects), 90 females played a Trust Game while they either smelled hexanal (0.01% v/v), clove odor (eugenol: 10% v/v), or hexanal masked by clove odor (a mix of the former). As a sign of higher trust, participants gave more money to a trustee while exposed to masked hexanal (vs. the mask: eugenol). In Study 2 (within-subjects, double-blind), another sample of 35 females smelled the same three odors, while they rated the trustworthiness of a spectrum of faces that varied on trustworthiness. Controlling for subjective odor intensity and pleasantness and substantiating that masked hexanal could not be distinguished from the mask, faces were perceived as more trustworthy during exposure to masked hexanal (vs. the mask: eugenol). Whereas non-masked hexanal also increased face trustworthiness ratings, these effects disappeared after controlling for the odor’s subjective intensity and pleasantness. The combined results bring new evidence that trust can be enhanced implicitly via undetected smells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan van Nieuwenburg
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jasper H B de Groot
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Monique A M Smeets
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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49
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Teed AR, Han K, Rakic J, Mark DB, Krawczyk DC. The influence of oxytocin and vasopressin on men's judgments of social dominance and trustworthiness: An fMRI study of neutral faces. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 106:252-258. [PMID: 31015068 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cues signaling trust and dominance are crucial for social life. Previous studies on the effects of oxytocin (OT) nasal sprays on trustworthiness evaluations have been inconsistent and its influence on dominance is unknown. Vasopressin (AVP) may also influence social cue perception, but even fewer investigations have evaluated this possibility. We evaluated the effects of intranasal OT and AVP compared to placebo control during three double-blinded functional magnetic resonance imaging sessions. Twenty males received a pseudo-randomized order of nasal spray conditions and rated the trustworthiness and dominance of neutral faces. OT increased facial dominance ratings compared to placebo. Neuroimaging results revealed an inverse relationship between brain activation and face ratings for OT compared to placebo in regions involved in processing emotional expressions. Specifically, the right superior temporal gyrus was attenuated as ratings increased and the left precuneus selectively diminished with increasing dominance ratings. Additionally, OT increased functional connectivity between frontoparietal regions and the right amygdala for faces rated as highly dominant, but OT increased connectivity between the fusiform gyrus, hippocampus, and bilateral ventral tegmental area (VTA) for faces perceived as highly trustworthy. Overall, OT increased the perception of dominance but did not influence trustworthiness judgments. However, we observed regional neural effects for OT that differed between judgments of trustworthiness and dominance. AVP attenuated left temporoparietal junction activity as face ratings increased, a result consistent with AVP influencing mentalization. AVP also led to increased left amygdala and right VTA connectivity with the putamen, which is consistent with cue-driven, habitual responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Teed
- Center for BrainHealth®, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA.
| | - Kihwan Han
- Center for BrainHealth®, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA
| | - Jelena Rakic
- Center for BrainHealth®, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA
| | - Daniel B Mark
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, USA
| | - Daniel C Krawczyk
- Center for BrainHealth®, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA; School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA
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50
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Aguilar-Raab C, Eckstein M, Geracitano S, Prevost M, Gold I, Heinrichs M, Bilderbeck A, Ehlert U, Ditzen B. Oxytocin Modulates the Cognitive Appraisal of the Own and Others Close Intimate Relationships. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:714. [PMID: 31379475 PMCID: PMC6646594 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00714] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Close and intimate relationships are important promoters of health. Oxytocin and its association with social cognition have been investigated in a large number of studies, especially highlighting the neuropeptide's involvement in attachment behavior and intimate relationships. However, mixed findings on exogenous oxytocin application have led to the focus on moderators and mediators, suggesting that the effects are depended on specific factors - namely context and salience. The objective of the current study was to assess the effect of intranasal oxytocin on social appraisal of own and others' close intimate relationship characteristics. Different characteristics of relationships, including trust or closeness, between romantic couples (unknown and own) were assessed using the Couple Appraisal Task. In a randomized controlled double-blind cross-over within subject design, N = 71 healthy men and women were investigated after receiving first intranasal oxytocin and 2 weeks later placebo, or vice versa. We found an oxytocin-induced increase in the positive appraisal of one's own overall relationship characteristics but not in the evaluation of the relationship of others. The present study - one of the first of its kind administrating oxytocin in a repeated measures cross-over design - adds further evidence to the mediating role of oxytocin in social cognition, specifically with regard to romantic relationship characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina Aguilar-Raab
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Monika Eckstein
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Geracitano
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marie Prevost
- Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ian Gold
- Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Amy Bilderbeck
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrike Ehlert
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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