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Brener SA, Frankenhuis WE, Young ES, Ellis BJ. Social Class, Sex, and the Ability to Recognize Emotions: The Main Effect is in the Interaction. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2024; 50:1197-1210. [PMID: 37013847 DOI: 10.1177/01461672231159775] [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] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated an inverse relation between subjective social class (SSC) and performance on emotion recognition tasks. Study 1 (N = 418) involved a preregistered replication of this effect using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task and the Cambridge Mindreading Face-Voice Battery. The inverse relation replicated; however, exploratory analyses revealed a significant interaction between sex and SSC in predicting emotion recognition, indicating that the effect was driven by males. In Study 2 (N = 745), we preregistered and tested the interaction on a separate archival dataset. The interaction replicated; the association between SSC and emotion recognition again occurred only in males. Exploratory analyses (Study 3; N = 381) examined the generalizability of the interaction to incidental face memory. Our results underscore the need to reevaluate previous research establishing the main effects of social class and sex on emotion recognition abilities, as these effects apparently moderate each other.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Willem E Frankenhuis
- Utrecht University, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Freiburg, Germany
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2
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Pantouli F, Pujol CN, Derieux C, Fonteneau M, Pellissier LP, Marsol C, Karpenko J, Bonnet D, Hibert M, Bailey A, Le Merrer J, Becker JAJ. Acute, chronic and conditioned effects of intranasal oxytocin in the mu-opioid receptor knockout mouse model of autism: Social context matters. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01915-1. [PMID: 39020142 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01915-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders whose diagnosis relies on deficient social interaction and communication together with repetitive behaviours. Multiple studies have highlighted the potential of oxytocin (OT) to ameliorate behavioural abnormalities in animal models and subjects with ASD. Clinical trials, however, yielded disappointing results. Our study aimed at assessing the behavioural effects of different regimens of OT administration in the Oprm1 null mouse model of ASD. We assessed the effects of intranasal OT injected once at different doses (0.15, 0.3, and 0.6 IU) and time points (5, 15, and 30 min) following administration, or chronically, on ASD-related behaviours (social interaction and preference, stereotypies, anxiety, nociception) in Oprm1+/+ and Oprm1-/- mice. We then tested whether pairing intranasal OT injection with social experience would influence its outcome on ASD-like symptoms, and measured gene expression in the reward/social circuit. Acute intranasal OT at 0.3 IU improved social behaviour in Oprm1-/- mice 5 min after administration, with limited effects on non-social behaviours. Chronic (8-17 days) OT maintained rescuing effects in Oprm1 null mice but was deleterious in wild-type mice. Finally, improvements in the social behaviour of Oprm1-/- mice were greater and longer lasting when OT was administered in a social context. Under these conditions, the expression of OT and vasopressin receptor genes, as well as marker genes of striatal projection neurons, was suppressed. We detected no sex difference in OT effects. Our results highlight the importance of considering dosage and social context when evaluating the effects of OT treatment in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fani Pantouli
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, Inserm, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France
- Florida Research & Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, 9801 SW Discovery Way, Port St. Lucie, FL, 34987, USA
- Pharmacology section, Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, SW17 ORE, UK
| | - Camille N Pujol
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, Inserm, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France
- Department of Psychiatry, Strasbourg University Hospital, 67091, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cécile Derieux
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, Inserm, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Mathieu Fonteneau
- UMR1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, CNRS, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Parc de Grandmont, 37200, Tours, France
| | | | - Claire Marsol
- Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR7200 CNRS/Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67412, Illkirch, France
| | - Julie Karpenko
- Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR7200 CNRS/Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67412, Illkirch, France
| | - Dominique Bonnet
- Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR7200 CNRS/Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67412, Illkirch, France
| | - Marcel Hibert
- Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR7200 CNRS/Université de Strasbourg, 74 route du Rhin, 67412, Illkirch, France
| | - Alexis Bailey
- Pharmacology section, Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, SW17 ORE, UK
| | - Julie Le Merrer
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, Inserm, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
- UMR1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, CNRS, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Parc de Grandmont, 37200, Tours, France.
| | - Jerome A J Becker
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, Inserm, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
- UMR1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, CNRS, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Parc de Grandmont, 37200, Tours, France.
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Shoenfelt A, Pehlivanoglu D, Lin T, Ziaei M, Feifel D, Ebner NC. Effects of chronic intranasal oxytocin on visual attention to faces vs. natural scenes in older adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 164:107018. [PMID: 38461634 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Aging is associated with changes in face processing, including desensitization to face cues like gaze direction and an attentional preference to faces with positive over negative emotional valence. A parallel line of research has shown that acute administration of oxytocin (OT) increases visual attention to social stimuli such as human faces. The current study examined effects of chronic OT administration among older adults on fixation duration to faces that varied in emotional expression, gaze direction, age, and sex. One hundred and twelve generally healthy older adults (aged 55-95 years) underwent a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, between-subject clinical trial in which they self-administered either OT or placebo (P) intranasally twice a day for 4 weeks. The behavioral task involved rating the trustworthiness of faces (i.e., social stimuli) and natural scenes (i.e., non-social control stimuli) during eye tracking and was conducted before and after the intervention. Fixation duration to both the faces and the natural scenes declined from pre- to post-intervention, however this decline was less pronounced among older adults in the OT compared to the P group for faces but not scenes. Further, face cues (emotional expression, gaze direction, age, sex) did not moderate the treatment effect. This study provides first evidence that chronic intranasal OT maintains salience of social cues over time in older adults, perhaps buffering effects of habituation. These findings enhance understanding of OT effects on social cognition among older adults, and would benefit from follow up with a young adult comparison group to directly speak to specificity of observed effects to older adults and reflection of the aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alayna Shoenfelt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA.
| | - Didem Pehlivanoglu
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA
| | - Tian Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA
| | - Maryam Ziaei
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7030, Norway; K.G. Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer's disease, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7030, Norway
| | - David Feifel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA; Cognitive Aging and Memory Program, Clinical Translational Research Program, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1149 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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Hou W, Ma H, Huang C, Li Y, Li L, Zhang L, Qu Y, Xun Y, Yang Q, He Z, Tai F. Effects of paternal deprivation on empathetic behavior and the involvement of oxytocin receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105536. [PMID: 38522143 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105536] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Paternal deprivation (PD) impairs social cognition and sociality and increases levels of anxiety-like behavior. However, whether PD affects the levels of empathy in offspring and its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The present study found that PD increased anxiety-like behavior in mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), impaired sociality, reduced the ability of emotional contagion, and the level of consolation behavior. Meanwhile, PD reduced OT neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in both male and female mandarin voles. PD decreased the level of OT receptor (OTR) mRNA in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of male and female mandarin voles. Besides, OTR overexpression in the ACC reversed the PD-induced changes in anxiety-like behavior, social preference, emotional contagion, and consolation behavior. Interference of OTR expression in the ACC increased levels of anxiety-like behaviors, while it reduced levels of sociality, emotional contagion, and consolation. These results revealed that the OTR in the ACC is involved in the effects of PD on empathetic behaviors, and provide mechanistic insight into how social experiences affect empathetic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China; School of Environmental and Material Engineering, Yantai University, 264005, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Caihong Huang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yin Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Lu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Lizi Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yishan Qu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yufeng Xun
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Qixuan Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
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Krug I, Fung S, Liu S, Treasure J, Huang C, Felmingham K, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, McConchie O. The impact of oxytocin on emotion recognition and trust: Does disordered eating moderate these relationships? PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303824. [PMID: 38820421 PMCID: PMC11142561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to investigate the impact of oxytocin on emotion recognition, trust, body image, affect, and anxiety and whether eating disorder (ED) symptoms moderated any of these relationships. METHOD Participants (n = 149) were female university students, who were randomly allocated to receive in a double-blind nature, a single dose of oxytocin intranasal spray (n = 76) or a placebo (saline) intranasal spray (n = 73). Participants were asked to complete an experimental measure of emotion recognition and an investor task aimed to assess trust. RESULTS The oxytocin group exhibited better overall performance on the emotion recognition task (especially with recognising positive emotions), and a decline in state positive affect than the control group at post-intervention. However, these effects were not moderated by ED symptom severity, nor were effects found for state anxiety, negative affect, body image and recognising negative emotions in the emotion recognition task. CONCLUSION The current findings contribute to the growing literature on oxytocin, emotion recognition and positive affect and suggest that ED pathology does not moderate these relationships. Future research would benefit from examining the efficacy of an oxytocin intervention using a within-subjects, cross-over design, in those with sub-clinical and clinical EDs, as well as healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Krug
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephanie Fung
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shanshan Liu
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Janet Treasure
- Department of Psychological Medicine, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Section of Eating Disorders, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chia Huang
- Eating Disorders Program, The Melbourne Clinic, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kim Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Olivia McConchie
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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6
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Breach MR, Akouri HE, Costantine S, Dodson CM, McGovern N, Lenz KM. Prenatal allergic inflammation in rats confers sex-specific alterations to oxytocin and vasopressin innervation in social brain regions. Horm Behav 2024; 157:105427. [PMID: 37743114 PMCID: PMC10842952 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105427] [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: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to inflammation via maternal infection, allergy, or autoimmunity increases one's risk for developing neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Many of these disorders are associated with altered social behavior, yet the mechanisms underlying inflammation-induced social impairment remain unknown. We previously found that a rat model of acute allergic maternal immune activation (MIA) produced deficits like those found in MIA-linked disorders, including impairments in juvenile social play behavior. The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) regulate social behavior, including juvenile social play, across mammalian species. OT and AVP are also implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by social impairment, making them good candidate regulators of social deficits after MIA. We profiled how acute prenatal exposure to allergic MIA changed OT and AVP innervation in several brain regions important for social behavior in juvenile male and female rat offspring. We also assessed whether MIA altered additional behavioral phenotypes related to sociality and anxiety. We found that allergic MIA increased OT and AVP fiber immunoreactivity in the medial amygdala and had sex-specific effects in the nucleus accumbens, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and lateral hypothalamic area. We also found that MIA reduced ultrasonic vocalizations in neonates and increased the stereotypical nature of self-grooming behavior. Overall, these findings suggest that there may be sex-specific mechanisms underlying MIA-induced behavioral impairment and underscore OT and AVP as ideal candidates for future mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela R Breach
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Habib E Akouri
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sophia Costantine
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Claire M Dodson
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nolan McGovern
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kathryn M Lenz
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Kareklas K, Teles MC, Nunes AR, Oliveira RF. Social zebrafish: Danio rerio as an emerging model in social neuroendocrinology. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13280. [PMID: 37165563 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The fitness benefits of social life depend on the ability of animals to affiliate with others and form groups, on dominance hierarchies within groups that determine resource distribution, and on cognitive capacities for recognition, learning and information transfer. The evolution of these phenotypes is coupled with that of neuroendocrine mechanisms, but the causal link between the two remains underexplored. Growing evidence from our research group and others demonstrates that the tools available in zebrafish, Danio rerio, can markedly facilitate progress in this field. Here, we review this evidence and provide a synthesis of the state-of-the-art in this model system. We discuss the involvement of generalized motivation and cognitive components, neuroplasticity and functional connectivity across social decision-making brain areas, and how these are modulated chiefly by the oxytocin-vasopressin neuroendocrine system, but also by reward-pathway monoamine signaling and the effects of sex-hormones and stress physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Magda C Teles
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Rui F Oliveira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
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Jongerius C, Hillen MA, Smets EMA, Mol MJ, Kooij ES, de Nood MA, Dalmaijer ES, Fliers E, Romijn JA, Quintana DS. Nasal oxytocin administration does not influence eye gaze or perceived relationship of male volunteers with physicians in a simulated online consultation: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Endocr Connect 2023; 12:e220377. [PMID: 37294605 PMCID: PMC10448572 DOI: 10.1530/ec-22-0377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The patient-physician relationship is a critical determinant of patient health outcomes. Verbal and non-verbal communication, such as eye gaze, are vital aspects of this bond. Neurobiological studies indicate that oxytocin may serve as a link between increased eye gaze and social bonding. Therefore, oxytocin signaling could serve as a key factor influencing eye gaze as well as the patient-physician relationship. We aimed to test the effects of oxytocin on gaze to the eyes of the physician and the patient-physician relationship by conducting a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial in healthy volunteers with intranasally administered oxytocin (with a previously effective single dose of 24 IU, EudraCT number 2018-004081-34). The eye gaze of 68 male volunteers was studied using eye tracking during a simulated video call consultation with a physician, who provided information about vaccination against the human papillomavirus. Relationship outcomes, including trust, satisfaction, and perceived physician communication style, were measured using questionnaires and corrected for possible confounds (social anxiety and attachment orientation). Additional secondary outcome measures for the effect of oxytocin were recall of information and pupil diameter and exploratory outcomes included mood and anxiety measures. Oxytocin did not affect the eye-tracking parameters of volunteers' gaze toward the eyes of the physician. Moreover, oxytocin did not affect the parameters of bonding between volunteers and the physician nor other secondary and exploratory outcomes in this setting. Bayesian hypothesis testing provided evidence for the absence of effects. These results contradict the notion that oxytocin affects eye gaze patterns or bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Jongerius
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Medical Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Quality of Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marij A Hillen
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Medical Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Quality of Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen M A Smets
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Medical Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Quality of Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mathijs J Mol
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Medical Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eefje S Kooij
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Medical Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maria A de Nood
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Medical Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin S Dalmaijer
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Fliers
- Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes A Romijn
- Department of Medicine, Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel S Quintana
- University of Oslo, Department of Psychology, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Rare Disorders and Disabilities, Oslo University Hospital, NevSom, Oslo, Norway
- University of Oslo, Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT) and KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Oslo, Norway
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9
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Li Y, Luo R, Wang D, Zhang X. Association between Empathy and Clinical Symptoms among Overweight and Non-Overweight Chinese Chronic Schizophrenia Patients. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1075. [PMID: 37509007 PMCID: PMC10377734 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13071075] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia are afflicted by severe clinical symptoms and serious cognitive dysfunction. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential relationships between clinical symptoms and empathy and their variations between overweight and non-overweight schizophrenia patients. To address this problem, a group of 776 inpatients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia (504 overweight patients and 272 non-overweight patients) was recruited. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and its five-factor model were employed to assess clinical symptoms, while empathy levels were measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The overweight patients had lower education levels but higher positive symptoms than the non-overweight patients (all p < 0.05). In addition, the overweight patients performed significantly better with respect to empathy (FDR-corrected p < 0.05). Additional multiple regression analyses indicated significant associations between the total score of the IRI and PANSS negative symptoms, gender, and family history of psychiatric disorders among the overweight group; among non-overweight patients, there was a significant correlation between suicide and the total score of the IRI. This study provides evidence suggesting that chronic schizophrenia patients who are overweight may have distinct clinical characteristics, particularly with respect to their empathy, compared with non-overweight patients. Moreover, different variables are associated with empathy in different groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Li
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ruichenxi Luo
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Vogt C, Floegel M, Kasper J, Gispert-Sánchez S, Kell CA. Oxytocinergic modulation of speech production-a double-blind placebo-controlled fMRI study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad035. [PMID: 37384576 PMCID: PMC10348401 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad035] [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: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Many socio-affective behaviors, such as speech, are modulated by oxytocin. While oxytocin modulates speech perception, it is not known whether it also affects speech production. Here, we investigated effects of oxytocin administration and interactions with the functional rs53576 oxytocin receptor (OXTR) polymorphism on produced speech and its underlying brain activity. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, 52 healthy male participants read sentences out loud with either neutral or happy intonation, a covert reading condition served as a common baseline. Participants were studied once under the influence of intranasal oxytocin and in another session under placebo. Oxytocin administration increased the second formant of produced vowels. This acoustic feature has previously been associated with speech valence; however, the acoustic differences were not perceptually distinguishable in our experimental setting. When preparing to speak, oxytocin enhanced brain activity in sensorimotor cortices and regions of both dorsal and right ventral speech processing streams, as well as subcortical and cortical limbic and executive control regions. In some of these regions, the rs53576 OXTR polymorphism modulated oxytocin administration-related brain activity. Oxytocin also gated cortical-basal ganglia circuits involved in the generation of happy prosody. Our findings suggest that several neural processes underlying speech production are modulated by oxytocin, including control of not only affective intonation but also sensorimotor aspects during emotionally neutral speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Vogt
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| | - Mareike Floegel
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| | - Johannes Kasper
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| | - Suzana Gispert-Sánchez
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
- Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| | - Christian A Kell
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
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Tully J, Sethi A, Griem J, Paloyelis Y, Craig MC, Williams SCR, Murphy D, Blair RJ, Blackwood N. Oxytocin normalizes the implicit processing of fearful faces in psychopathy: a randomized crossover study using fMRI. NATURE. MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 1:420-427. [PMID: 38665476 PMCID: PMC11041724 DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00067-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Adults with antisocial personality disorder with (ASPD + P) and without (ASPD - P) psychopathy commit the majority of violent crimes. Empathic processing abnormalities are particularly prominent in psychopathy, but effective pharmacological interventions have yet to be identified. Oxytocin modulates neural responses to fearful expressions in healthy populations. The current study investigates its effects in violent antisocial men. In a placebo-controlled, randomized crossover design, 34 violent offenders (19 ASPD + P; 15 ASPD - P) and 24 healthy non-offenders received 40 IU intranasal oxytocin or placebo and then completed an fMRI morphed faces task examining the implicit processing of fearful facial expressions. Increasing intensity of fearful facial expressions failed to appropriately modulate activity in the bilateral mid-cingulate cortex in violent offenders with ASPD + P, compared with those with ASPD - P. Oxytocin abolished these group differences. This represents evidence of neurochemical modulation of the empathic processing of others' distress in psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tully
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
- Academic Unit of Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Arjun Sethi
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Julia Griem
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Yannis Paloyelis
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Michael C. Craig
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Steven C. R. Williams
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Robert James Blair
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nigel Blackwood
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
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12
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Daughters K, Unwin K, Rees DA. The psychological impact of adult-onset craniopharyngioma: A qualitative study of the experience of patients and clinicians. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2023; 65:102346. [PMID: 37321130 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2023.102346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Individuals who experience social and emotional difficulties struggle to maintain successful social relationships and incur an increased risk of developing mood disorders. These, in turn, have a significant impact on psychological and physical wellbeing. A small number of medical studies suggest that patients with adult-onset craniopharyngioma (AoC) report poorer quality of life, however, no in-depth psychological research has been carried out. The present study aimed to capture a rich understanding of whether patients with AoC experience a psychological impact from their diagnosis and whether psychological factors may contribute to a poorer quality of life. METHOD Both patients with AoC and clinicians with experience of working with patients with AoC were invited to take part in a semi-structured interview. Participants were recruited from three geographically disperse National Health Service (NHS) units across the United Kingdom (UK). Eight patients and 10 clinicians took part in the study. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS Two key themes, with multiple subthemes, were identified: 1) Patients experience psychological impacts of AoC; and 2) Patients also experience common physical symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Patients and clinicians recognised significant psychological impact as a result of AoC, and these impacts contributed to overall poorer quality of life. Crucially, both parties also felt that further research into psychological impact of AoC was both interesting and useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Daughters
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Wivehoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.
| | - Katy Unwin
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - D Aled Rees
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
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13
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Feldman R. The neurobiology of hatred: Tools of Dialogue© intervention for youth reared amidst intractable conflict impacts brain, behaviour, and peacebuilding attitudes. Acta Paediatr 2023; 112:603-616. [PMID: 36655828 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Myths, drama, and sacred texts have warned against the fragile nature of human love; the closer the affiliative bond, the quicker it can turn into hatred, suggesting similarities in the neurobiological underpinnings of love and hatred. Here, I offer a theoretical account on the neurobiology of hatred based on our model on the biology of human attachments and its three foundations; the oxytocin system, the "affiliative brain", comprising the neural network sustaining attachment, and biobehavioural synchrony, the process by which humans create a coupled biology through coordinated action. These systems mature in mammals in the context of the mother-infant bond and then transfer to support life within social groups. During this transition, they partition to support affiliation and solidarity to one's group and fear and hatred towards out-group based on minor variations in social behaviour. I present the Tools of Dialogue© intervention for outgroup members based on social synchrony. Applied to Israeli and Palestinian youth and implementing RCT, we measured social behaviour, attitudes, hormones, and social brain response before and after the 8-session intervention. Youth receiving the intervention increased reciprocity and reduced hostile behaviour towards outgroup, attenuated the neural marker of prejudice and increased neural empathic response, reduced cortisol and elevated oxytocin, and adapted attitudes of compromise. These neural changes predicted peacebuilding support 7 years later, when young adults can engage in civil responsibilities. Our intervention, the first to show long-term effects of inter-group intervention on brain and behaviour, demonstrates how social synchrony can tilt the neurobiology of hatred towards the pole of affiliation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Feldman
- Center of Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University, Herzlia, Israel
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14
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Akinrinade I, Kareklas K, Teles MC, Reis TK, Gliksberg M, Petri G, Levkowitz G, Oliveira RF. Evolutionarily conserved role of oxytocin in social fear contagion in zebrafish. Science 2023; 379:1232-1237. [PMID: 36952426 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq5158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Emotional contagion is the most ancestral form of empathy. We tested to what extent the proximate mechanisms of emotional contagion are evolutionarily conserved by assessing the role of oxytocin, known to regulate empathic behaviors in mammals, in social fear contagion in zebrafish. Using oxytocin and oxytocin receptor mutants, we show that oxytocin is both necessary and sufficient for observer zebrafish to imitate the distressed behavior of conspecific demonstrators. The brain regions associated with emotional contagion in zebrafish are homologous to those involved in the same process in rodents (e.g., striatum, lateral septum), receiving direct projections from oxytocinergic neurons located in the pre-optic area. Together, our results support an evolutionary conserved role for oxytocin as a key regulator of basic empathic behaviors across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibukun Akinrinade
- Integrative Behavioral Biology Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
| | - Kyriacos Kareklas
- Integrative Behavioral Biology Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
| | - Magda C Teles
- Integrative Behavioral Biology Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
| | - Thais K Reis
- Integrative Behavioral Biology Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
| | - Michael Gliksberg
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Giovanni Petri
- ISI Foundation and ISI Global Science Foundation, Torino 10126, Italy
- CENTAI Institute, Torino 10138, Italy
| | - Gil Levkowitz
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Rui F Oliveira
- Integrative Behavioral Biology Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
- ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisboa 1149-041, Portugal
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
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15
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Crouse JJ, LaMonica HM, Song YJC, Boulton KA, Rohleder C, DeMayo MM, Wilson CE, Loblay V, Hindmarsh G, Stratigos T, Krausz M, Foo N, Teo M, Hunter A, Guastella AJ, Banati RB, Troy J, Hickie IB. Designing an App for Parents and Caregivers to Promote Cognitive and Socioemotional Development and Well-being Among Children Aged 0 to 5 Years in Diverse Cultural Settings: Scientific Framework. JMIR Pediatr Parent 2023; 6:e38921. [PMID: 36780220 PMCID: PMC9972208 DOI: 10.2196/38921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen remarkable progress in our scientific understanding of early childhood social, emotional, and cognitive development, as well as our capacity to widely disseminate health information by using digital technologies. Together, these scientific and technological advances offer exciting opportunities to deliver high-quality information about early childhood development (ECD) to parents and families globally, which may ultimately lead to greater knowledge and confidence among parents and better outcomes among children (particularly in lower- and middle-income countries). With these potential benefits in mind, we set out to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a new parenting app-Thrive by Five-that will be available in 30 countries. The app will provide caregivers and families with evidence-based and culturally appropriate information about ECD, accompanied by sets of collective actions that go beyond mere tips for parenting practices. Herein, we describe this ongoing global project and discuss the components of our scientific framework for developing and prototyping the app's content. Specifically, we describe (1) 5 domains that are used to organize the content and goals of the app's information and associated practices; (2) 5 neurobiological systems that are relevant to ECD and can be behaviorally targeted to potentially influence social, emotional, and cognitive development; (3) our anthropological and cultural framework for learning about local contexts and appreciating decolonization perspectives; and (4) our approach to tailoring the app's content to local contexts, which involves collaboration with in-country partner organizations and local and international subject matter experts in ECD, education, medicine, psychology, and anthropology, among others. Finally, we provide examples of the content that was incorporated in Thrive by Five when it launched globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Crouse
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Haley M LaMonica
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Yun Ju Christine Song
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Kelsie A Boulton
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Cathrin Rohleder
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marilena M DeMayo
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Chloe E Wilson
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Victoria Loblay
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.,The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Gabrielle Hindmarsh
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Tina Stratigos
- Sydney School of Education and Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Krausz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Adam J Guastella
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.,Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Richard B Banati
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jakelin Troy
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Youth Mental Health and Technology Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
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16
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Kucerova B, Levit-Binnun N, Gordon I, Golland Y. From Oxytocin to Compassion: The Saliency of Distress. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020183. [PMID: 36829462 PMCID: PMC9953150 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Compassion is a warm response of care and concern for those who are suffering, which drives individuals to devote their resources for the sake of others. A prominent neuroevolutionary framework grounds compassion in the neurobiology of the mammalian caregiving system. Accordingly, it has been suggested that the oxytocinergic system, which plays a central role in parental caregiving and bonding, provides the neurobiological foundation for compassion towards strangers. Yet, the specific role of oxytocin in compassion is far from clear. The current paper aims to target this gap and offer a theoretical framework that integrates the state-of-the-art literature on oxytocin with research on compassion. We suggest that oxytocin mediates compassion by enhancing the saliency of cues of pain and distress and discuss the plausible underlying neurobiological substrates. We further demonstrate how the proposed framework can account for individual differences in compassion, focusing on the effects of attachment on caregiving and support. The proposed framework integrates the current scientific understanding of oxytocin function with compassion-related processes. It thus highlights the largely ignored attentional processes in compassion and taps into the vast variability of responses in social contexts involving pain and suffering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Kucerova
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Nava Levit-Binnun
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya 4610101, Israel
| | - Ilanit Gordon
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Yulia Golland
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya 4610101, Israel
- Correspondence:
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17
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Ríos U, Morán J, Hermosilla J, González R, Muñoz P, Arancibia M, Herrera L, Jiménez JP, Moya PR. The interaction of the oxytocin receptor gene and child abuse subtypes on social cognition in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder type I. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1151397. [PMID: 37139326 PMCID: PMC10150996 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1151397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Most studies on cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder have neglected the role of early stress, despite the high frequency of childhood maltreatment in this clinical group. The aim of this study was to establish a connection between a history of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in childhood and social cognition (SC) in patients with bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) in euthymia, and to test a possible moderating effect of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs53576 in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). Methods One hundred and one participants were included in this study. History of child abuse was evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. Cognitive functioning was appraised using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (social cognition). The interaction effect between the independent variables OXTR rs53576 (AA/AG and GG) and the absence or presence of any one type of child maltreatment or a combination of types was analyzed using a generalized linear model regression. Results BD-I patients who had been victims of physical and emotional abuse in childhood and were carriers of the GG genotype at OXTR rs53576 displayed greater SC alterations, specifically in emotion recognition. Discussion This gene-environment interaction finding suggests a differential susceptibility model of a genetic variants that can be plausibly associated with SC functioning and might help to identify at-risk clinical subgroups within a diagnostic category. Future research aimed at testing the interlevel impact of early stress constitutes an ethical-clinical duty given the high rates of childhood maltreatment reported in BD-I patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulises Ríos
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Grupo de Investigación en Resiliencia, Adversidad Temprana y Reparación (GIRAR), Viña del Mar, Chile
- Millennium Institute for Depression and Personality Research (MIDAP), Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Ulises Ríos,
| | - Javier Morán
- Grupo de Investigación en Resiliencia, Adversidad Temprana y Reparación (GIRAR), Viña del Mar, Chile
- Millennium Institute for Depression and Personality Research (MIDAP), Santiago, Chile
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jimena Hermosilla
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Mood Disorders Program, Hospital Psiquiátrico del Salvador, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - René González
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Paulina Muñoz
- Mood Disorders Program, Hospital Dr Gustavo Fricke, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - Marcelo Arancibia
- Grupo de Investigación en Resiliencia, Adversidad Temprana y Reparación (GIRAR), Viña del Mar, Chile
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Luisa Herrera
- Program of Human Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Jiménez
- Millennium Institute for Depression and Personality Research (MIDAP), Santiago, Chile
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Chile
| | - Pablo R. Moya
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso (CINV), Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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18
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Coenjaerts M, Trimborn I, Adrovic B, Stoffel-Wagner B, Cahill L, Philipsen A, Hurlemann R, Scheele D. Exogenous estradiol and oxytocin modulate sex differences in hippocampal reactivity during the encoding of episodic memories. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119689. [PMID: 36349596 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence supports sex differences in episodic memory. The hormones estradiol and oxytocin both affect episodic memory and may contribute to these sex differences, but possible underlying hormonal interactions have not been tested in a sample involving both sexes. To this end, we conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study including healthy free-cycling women (n = 111) and men (n = 115). The fMRI session was conducted under four experimental conditions: 1. transdermal estradiol (2 mg) and intranasal oxytocin (24 IU), 2. transdermal placebo and intranasal oxytocin, 3. transdermal estradiol and intranasal placebo, 4. transdermal placebo and intranasal placebo. Participants were scanned during the encoding of positive, neutral, and negative scenes. Recognition memory was tested three days following the scanning sessions without additional treatments. Under placebo, women showed a significantly better recognition memory and increased hippocampal responses to subsequently remembered items independent of the emotional valence compared to men. The separate treatments with either hormone significantly diminished this mnemonic sex difference and reversed the hippocampal activation pattern. However, the combined treatments produced no significant effect. Collectively, the results suggest that both hormones play a crucial role in modulating sex differences in episodic memory. Furthermore, possible antagonistic interactions between estradiol and oxytocin could explain previously observed opposing hormonal effects in women and men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Coenjaerts
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn 53105, Germany.
| | - Isabelle Trimborn
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn 53105, Germany
| | - Berina Adrovic
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn 53105, Germany
| | - Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn 53105, Germany
| | - Larry Cahill
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3800, United States
| | - Alexandra Philipsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn 53105, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26129, Germany; Research Center Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44780, Germany.
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19
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Neuroimaging genetics of oxytocin: A transcriptomics-informed systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104912. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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20
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Guidetti C, Salvini E, Viri M, Deidda F, Amoruso A, Visciglia A, Drago L, Calgaro M, Vitulo N, Pane M, Caucino AC. Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Study for Evaluating a Probiotic Mixture on Gastrointestinal and Behavioral Symptoms of Autistic Children. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11185263. [PMID: 36142909 PMCID: PMC9504504 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11185263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a diagnostic challenge with a still partially uncertain etiology, in which genetic and environmental factors have now been assessed. Among the hypotheses underlying the involvement of biological and environmental factors, the gut–brain axis is of particular interest in autism spectrum disorders. Several studies have highlighted the related incidence of particular gastrointestinal symptoms (GISs) in children suffering from ASDs. Probiotics have shown success in treating several gastrointestinal dysbiotic disorders; therefore, it is plausible to investigate whether they can alleviate behavioral symptoms as well. On these bases, a randomized double-blind crossover study with a placebo was conducted, evaluating the effects of a mixture of probiotics in a group of 61 subjects aged between 24 months and 16 years old with a diagnosis of ASD. Behavioral evaluation was performed through the administration of a questionnaire including a Parenting Stress Index (PSI) test and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). The Psycho-Educational Profile and the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS) were also evaluated. Microbial composition analyses of fecal samples of the two groups was also performed. The study showed significant improvements in GISs, communication skills, maladaptive behaviors, and perceived parental stress level after the administration of probiotics. Microbiome alpha diversity was comparable between treatment arms and no significant differences were found, although beta diversity results were significantly different in the treatment group between T0 and T1 time points. Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and Ligilactobacillus salivarius species were identified as some of the most discriminant taxa positively associated with T1 samples. This preliminary study corroborates the relationship between intestinal microbiota and ASD recently described in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Guidetti
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, University Hospital Maggiore della Carità, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Elena Salvini
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, University Hospital Maggiore della Carità, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Maurizio Viri
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, University Hospital Maggiore della Carità, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | | | - Angela Amoruso
- Probiotical Research Srl, Via E. Mattei 3, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Drago
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Matteo Calgaro
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
| | - Nicola Vitulo
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
| | - Marco Pane
- Probiotical Research Srl, Via E. Mattei 3, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Anna Claudia Caucino
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, University Hospital Maggiore della Carità, 28100 Novara, Italy
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21
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Daughters K, Rees DA, Hunnikin L, Wells A, Hall J, van Goozen S. Oxytocin administration versus emotion training in healthy males: considerations for future research. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210056. [PMID: 35858104 PMCID: PMC9272145 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying emotions correctly is essential for successful social interaction. There is therefore a keen interest in designing therapeutic interventions to improve emotion recognition in individuals who struggle with social interaction. The neuropeptide oxytocin has been proposed as a potential physiological intervention due to its important role in emotion recognition and other aspects of social cognition. However, there are a number of caveats to consider with the current form of intranasal oxytocin commonly used in the literature. Psychological interventions, on the other hand, do not carry the same caveats, and there is, therefore, a need to understand how intranasal oxytocin administration compares to psychological interventions designed to target the same psychological phenomena; and whether a combined intervention approach may provide additive benefits. Here we present a pilot, proof-of-concept study in healthy volunteers comparing the effect of intranasal oxytocin against a validated emotion training programme, finding that the psychological intervention, and not intranasal oxytocin, improved emotion recognition specifically for angry expressions. We discuss the theoretical implications of the research for future clinical trials. 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)
- Katie Daughters
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - D Aled Rees
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Laura Hunnikin
- Centre for Human Developmental Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Amy Wells
- Centre for Human Developmental Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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22
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Jiang Y, Sheng F, Belkaya N, Platt ML. Oxytocin and testosterone administration amplify viewing preferences for sexual images in male rhesus macaques. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210133. [PMID: 35858095 PMCID: PMC9272140 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0133] [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] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social stimuli, like faces, and sexual stimuli, like genitalia, spontaneously attract visual attention in both human and non-human primates. Social orienting behaviour is thought to be modulated by neuropeptides as well as sex hormones. Using a free viewing task in which paired images of monkey faces and anogenital regions were presented simultaneously, we found that male rhesus macaques overwhelmingly preferred to view images of anogenital regions over faces. They were more likely to make an initial gaze shift towards, and spent more time viewing, anogenital regions compared with faces, and this preference was accompanied by relatively constricted pupils. On face images, monkeys mostly fixated on the forehead and eyes. These viewing preferences were found for images of both males and females. Both oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide linked to social bonding and affiliation, and testosterone (TE), a sex hormone implicated in mating and aggression, amplified the pre-existing orienting bias for female genitalia over female faces; neither treatment altered the viewing preference for male anogenital regions over male faces. Testosterone but not OT increased the probability of monkeys making the first gaze shift towards female anogenital rather than face pictures, with the strongest effects on anogenital images of young and unfamiliar females. Finally, both OT and TE promoted viewing of the forehead region of both female and male faces, which display sexual skins, but decreased the relative salience of the eyes of older males. Together, these results invite the hypothesis that both OT and TE regulate reproductive behaviours by acting as a gain control on the visual orienting network to increase attention to mating-relevant signals in the environment. 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)
- Yaoguang Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Feng Sheng
- Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- School of Management and MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain–Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Naz Belkaya
- Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Marketing Department, the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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23
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Polk R, Horta M, Lin T, Porges E, Ojeda M, Nazarloo HP, Carter CS, Ebner NC. Evaluating the neuropeptide-social cognition link in ageing: the mediating role of basic cognitive skills. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210048. [PMID: 35858076 PMCID: PMC9274329 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The roles of oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) as crucial modulators of social cognition and related behaviours have been extensively addressed in the literature. The involvement of these neuropeptides in social cognition in ageing, however, and a potential mediating effect of basic cognitive capacities on this link, are not well understood. To fill these research gaps, this study assessed associations of plasma OT and AVP levels with dynamic emotion identification accuracy in generally healthy older men (aged 55-95 years) and probed the underlying roles of crystallized and fluid cognition in these associations. Higher plasma OT levels were associated with lower accuracy in dynamic emotion identification, with this negative relationship fully mediated by cognition. For plasma AVP levels, in contrast, there was no association with dynamic emotion identification accuracy. Integrated within existing theoretical accounts, results from this study advance understanding of the neuropeptide-social cognition link in ageing and support basic cognitive capacities as mediators in this association. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Polk
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marilyn Horta
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Tian Lin
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Eric Porges
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marite Ojeda
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hans P. Nazarloo
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - C. Sue Carter
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Natalie C. Ebner
- Department of Psychology, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, College of Public Health and Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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24
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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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25
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Marazziti D, Diep PT, Carter S, Carbone MG. Oxytocin: An Old Hormone, A Novel Psychotropic Drug And Possible Use In Treating Psychiatric Disorders. Curr Med Chem 2022; 29:5615-5687. [PMID: 35894453 DOI: 10.2174/0929867329666220727120646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxytocin is a nonapeptide synthesized in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Historically, this molecule has been involved as a key factor in the formation of infant attachment, maternal behavior and pair bonding and, more generally, in linking social signals with cognition, behaviors and reward. In the last decades, the whole oxytocin system has gained a growing interest as it was proposed to be implicated in etiopathogenesis of several neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. METHODS With the main goal of an in-depth understanding of the oxytocin role in the regulation of different functions and complex behaviors as well as its intriguing implications in different neuropsychiatric disorders, we performed a critical review of the current state of art. We carried out this work through PubMed database up to June 2021 with the search terms: 1) "oxytocin and neuropsychiatric disorders"; 2) "oxytocin and neurodevelopmental disorders"; 3) "oxytocin and anorexia"; 4) "oxytocin and eating disorders"; 5) "oxytocin and obsessive-compulsive disorder"; 6) "oxytocin and schizophrenia"; 7) "oxytocin and depression"; 8) "oxytocin and bipolar disorder"; 9) "oxytocin and psychosis"; 10) "oxytocin and anxiety"; 11) "oxytocin and personality disorder"; 12) "oxytocin and PTSD". RESULTS Biological, genetic, and epigenetic studies highlighted quality and quantity modifications in the expression of oxytocin peptide or in oxytocin receptor isoforms. These alterations would seem to be correlated with a higher risk of presenting several neuropsychiatric disorders belonging to different psychopathological spectra. Collaterally, the exogenous oxytocin administration has shown to ameliorate many neuropsychiatric clinical conditions. CONCLUSION Finally, we briefly analyzed the potential pharmacological use of oxytocin in patient with severe symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and immunoregulatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Marazziti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy.,Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Phuoc-Tan Diep
- Department of Histopathology, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Sue Carter
- Director Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Manuel G Carbone
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Division of Psychiatry, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
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26
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Wu Q, Xie Y, Liu X, Liu Y. Oxytocin Impairs the Recognition of Micro-Expressions of Surprise and Disgust. Front Psychol 2022; 13:947418. [PMID: 35846599 PMCID: PMC9277341 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.947418] [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: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As fleeting facial expressions which reveal the emotion that a person tries to conceal, micro-expressions have great application potentials for fields like security, national defense and medical treatment. However, the physiological basis for the recognition of these facial expressions is poorly understood. In the present research, we utilized a double-blind, placebo-controlled, mixed-model experimental design to investigate the effects of oxytocin on the recognition of micro-expressions in three behavioral studies. Specifically, in Studies 1 and 2, participants were asked to perform a laboratory-based standardized micro-expression recognition task after self-administration of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin (40 IU) or placebo (containing all ingredients except for the neuropeptide). In Study 3, we further examined the effects of oxytocin on the recognition of natural micro-expressions. The results showed that intranasal oxytocin decreased the recognition speed for standardized intense micro-expressions of surprise (Study 1) and decreased the recognition accuracy for standardized subtle micro-expressions of disgust (Study 2). The results of Study 3 further revealed that intranasal oxytocin administration significantly reduced the recognition accuracy for natural micro-expressions of surprise and disgust. The present research is the first to investigate the effects of oxytocin on micro-expression recognition. It suggests that the oxytocin mainly plays an inhibiting role in the recognition of micro-expressions and there are fundamental differences in the neurophysiological basis for the recognition of micro-expressions and macro-expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wu
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Qi Wu,
| | - Yanni Xie
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Xuanchen Liu
- Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Yulong Liu
- School of Finance and Management, Changsha Social Work College, Changsha, China
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27
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Possible oxytocin-related biomarkers in anxiety and mood disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 116:110531. [PMID: 35150782 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and mood disorders are prevalent, disabling, and frequently difficult to treat. Such disorders are often comorbid and share similar characteristics. For more accurate diagnosis and improved treatment, a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of anxiety and mood disorders is important. Oxytocin, a neuropeptide synthesized in the hypothalamus, affects human psychology and behaviors such as social and affiliative behaviors, fear and emotion processing, and stress regulation. Thus, oxytocin is believed to exert anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects. This review article provides an overview of clinical studies on relationships between the oxytocin system and anxiety and mood disorders, focusing on oxytocin-related biomarker findings. Biomarkers used in such studies include central and peripheral oxytocin levels, analysis of oxytocin-related genes, and expression levels of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor genes in postmortem brains. Although a growing number of studies support the presence of oxytocinergic effects on anxiety and mood disorders, study results are heterogeneous and inconclusive. Moderating factors such as the characteristics of study populations, including sex, age, context, early life adversity, and attachment styles in patient cohorts, might affect the heterogeneity of the study results. Limitations in existing research such as small sample sizes, large dependence on peripheral sources of oxytocin, and inconsistent results between immunoassay methods complicate the interpretation of existing findings.
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28
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Itskovich E, Bowling DL, Garner JP, Parker KJ. Oxytocin and the social facilitation of placebo effects. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2640-2649. [PMID: 35338314 PMCID: PMC9167259 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01515-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Significant clinical improvement is often observed in patients who receive placebo treatment in randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials. While a proportion of this "improvement" reflects experimental design limitations (e.g., reliance on subjective outcomes, unbalanced groups, reporting biases), some of it reflects genuine improvement corroborated by physiological change. Converging evidence across diverse medical conditions suggests that clinically-relevant benefits from placebo treatment are associated with the activation of brain reward circuits. In parallel, evidence has accumulated showing that such benefits are facilitated by clinicians that demonstrate warmth and proficiency during interactions with patients. Here, we integrate research on these neural and social aspects of placebo effects with evidence linking oxytocin and social reward to advance a neurobiological account for the social facilitation of placebo effects. This account frames oxytocin as a key mediator of treatment success across a wide-spectrum of interventions that increase social connectedness, thereby providing a biological basis for assessing this fundamental non-specific element of medical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Itskovich
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Daniel L. Bowling
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Joseph P. Garner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Karen J. Parker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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29
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Zak PJ, Curry B, Owen T, Barraza JA. Oxytocin Release Increases With Age and Is Associated With Life Satisfaction and Prosocial Behaviors. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:846234. [PMID: 35530727 PMCID: PMC9069134 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.846234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Helping behaviors and life satisfaction generally increase after middle-age. Identifying the neural substrates of prosocial behaviors in older adults may offer additional insights into these changes over the lifespan. The present study examines the endogenous release of the neuromodulator oxytocin (OT) in participants aged 18-99 and its relationship to prosocial behaviors. OT has been shown to influence trust, altruism, charity, and generosity, yet the effect of age on OT release has not been well-established. Blood samples before and after a video stimulus were obtained from 103 participants in order to examine the impact of OT on prosocial behaviors. We found that OT release following a social prime increased with age (r = 0.49, p = 0.001) and that OT moderated the relationship between age and donations to charity. We tested for robustness by examining three additional prosocial behaviors, money and goods donated to charity during the past year and social-sector volunteering. OT moderated the impact of age on all three prosocial behaviors (ps < 0.05). The analysis also showed that participants' change in OT was positively associated with satisfaction with life (p = 0.04), empathic concern (p = 0.015), dispositional gratitude (p = 0.019), and religious commitment (p = 0.001). Our findings indicate that the neural chemistry that helps sustain social relationships and live a fulfilled life appear to strengthen with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J. Zak
- Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, United States
| | - Ben Curry
- TripActions, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Tyler Owen
- Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, United States
| | - Jorge A. Barraza
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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30
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Abstract
Already as infants humans are more fearful than our closest living primate relatives, the chimpanzees. Yet heightened fearfulness is mostly considered maladaptive, as it is thought to increase the risk of developing anxiety and depression. How can this human fear paradox be explained? The fearful ape hypothesis presented herein stipulates that, in the context of cooperative caregiving and provisioning unique to human great ape group life, heightened fearfulness was adaptive. This is because from early in ontogeny fearfulness expressed and perceived enhanced care-based responding and provisioning from, while concurrently increasing cooperation with, mothers and others. This explanation is based on a synthesis of existing research with human infants and children, demonstrating a link between fearfulness, greater sensitivity to and accuracy in detecting fear in others, and enhanced levels of cooperative behaviors. These insights critically advance current evolutionary theories of human cooperation by adding an early-developing affective component to the human cooperative makeup. Moreover, the current proposal has important cultural, societal, and health implications, as it challenges the predominant view in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies that commonly construe fearfulness as a maladaptive trait, potentially ignoring its evolutionary adaptive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Grossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
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31
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Bowling DL, Gahr J, Ancochea PG, Hoeschele M, Canoine V, Fusani L, Fitch WT. Endogenous oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone in response to group singing. Horm Behav 2022; 139:105105. [PMID: 34999566 PMCID: PMC8915780 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Humans have sung together for thousands of years. Today, regular participation in group singing is associated with benefits across psychological and biological dimensions of human health. Here we examine the hypothesis that a portion of these benefits stem from changes in endocrine activity associated with affiliation and social bonding. Working with a young adult choir (n = 71), we measured changes salivary concentrations of oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone from before and after four experimental conditions crossing two factors: vocal production mode (singing vs. speaking) and social context (together vs. alone). Salivary oxytocin and cortisol decreased from before to after the experimental manipulations. For oxytocin the magnitude of this decrease was significantly smaller after singing compared to speaking, resulting in concentrations that were significantly elevated after singing together compared to speaking together, after controlling for baseline differences. In contrast, the magnitude of the salivary cortisol decreases was the same across experimental manipulations, and although large, could not be separated from diurnal cycling. No significant effects were found in a low-powered exploratory evaluation of testosterone (tested only in males). At a psychological level, we found that singing stimulates greater positive shifts in self-perceived affect compared to speaking-particularly when performed together-and that singing together enhances feelings of social connection more than speaking together. Finally, measurements of heart rate made for a subset of participants provide preliminary evidence regarding physical exertion levels across conditions. These results are discussed in the context of a growing multidisciplinary literature on the endocrinological correlates of musical behavior. We conclude that singing together can have biological and psychological effects associated with affiliation and social bonding, and that these effects extend beyond comparable but non-musical group activities. However, we also note that these effects appear heavily influenced by broader contextual factors that shape social dynamics, such as stress levels, the intimacy of interactions, and the status of existing relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Bowling
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States of America; Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - J Gahr
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - P Graf Ancochea
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M Hoeschele
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria
| | - V Canoine
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - L Fusani
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - W T Fitch
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; CogSci Hub University of Vienna, Austria
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32
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Van der Donck S, Moerkerke M, Dlhosova T, Vettori S, Dzhelyova M, Alaerts K, Boets B. Monitoring the effect of oxytocin on the neural sensitivity to emotional faces via frequency-tagging EEG: A double-blind, cross-over study. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14026. [PMID: 35150446 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is suggested to exert an important role in human social behaviors by modulating the salience of social cues. To date, however, there is mixed evidence whether a single dose of OXT can improve the behavioral and neural sensitivity for emotional face processing. To overcome difficulties encountered with classic event-related potential studies assessing stimulus-saliency, we applied frequency-tagging EEG to implicitly assess the effect of a single dose of OXT (24 IU) on the neural sensitivity for positive and negative facial emotions. Neutral faces with different identities were presented at 6 Hz, periodically interleaved with an expressive face (angry, fearful, and happy, in separate sequences) every fifth image (i.e., 1.2 Hz oddball frequency). These distinctive frequency tags for neutral and expressive stimuli allowed direct and objective quantification of the neural expression-categorization responses. The study involved a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial with 31 healthy adult men. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find an effect of OXT on facial emotion processing, neither at the neural, nor at the behavioral level. A single dose of OXT did not evoke social enhancement in general, nor did it affect social approach-avoidance tendencies. Possibly ceiling performances in facial emotion processing might have hampered further improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Van der Donck
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthijs Moerkerke
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tereza Dlhosova
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sofie Vettori
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Milena Dzhelyova
- Institute of Research in Psychological Sciences, Université de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium.,Institute of Neuroscience, Université de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Neurorehabilitation Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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33
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Abstract
The oxytocin receptor plays a significant role in peripheral regulation of parturition and lactation. Given this important role, multiple drug discovery programs have been conducted to develop agonists and antagonists for peripheral activity. The role of the oxytocin receptor in the central nervous system is also significant, promoting social interaction, trust, and empathy in humans. As such, molecules that can access the central nervous system and target the oxytocin receptor are of significant interest. Due to the role of the oxytocin receptor in regulating social function and psychological well-being, agonists of this receptor have considerable promise for the treatment of numerous neuropsychiatric conditions. The poor pharmacokinetic properties and blood-brain barrier penetration of peptide-based molecules means nonpeptide compounds have more commonly been the focus for central nervous system activity. This chapter aims to summarize the current standing of peptide and nonpeptide drug discovery for antagonists and agonists of the oxytocin receptor and focusses on centrally active nonpeptidic agonists.
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34
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Oxytocin enhances neural approach towards social and non-social stimuli of high personal relevance. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23589. [PMID: 34880300 PMCID: PMC8655079 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02914-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) plays a pivotal role in a variety of complex social behaviors by modulating approach-avoidance motivational tendencies, but recently, its social specificity has been challenged. Here, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted with forty young adult men, investigating the effect of a single-dose of OT (24 IU) on behavioral and neural approach-avoidance. Frontal alpha asymmetry, indexing neurophysiological approach-avoidance, was obtained from electroencephalographic recordings while participants were presented with a series of pictures, individually rated in terms of personal relevance (i.e., high versus low positive/negative emotional evocativeness) and categorized as social or non-social. Additionally, participants could prolong (approach) or shorten (avoid) the viewing-time of each picture, providing a measure of behavioral approach-avoidance. Intranasal OT enhanced both behavioral and neural approach (increased viewing-time), particularly towards negatively valenced pictures of both social and non-social nature, thus challenging the notion that OT's effects are specific to social stimuli. Neurally, OT specifically amplified approach-related motivational salience of stimuli that were self-rated to have high personal relevance, but irrespective of their social nature or rated affective valence (positive/negative). Together, these findings provide support to the General Approach-Avoidance Hypothesis of OT, suggesting a role of OT in amplifying the motivational salience of environmental stimuli with high (personal) relevance, but irrespective of their social/non-social nature.Clinical Trial Number: The study design was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04443647; 23/06/2020; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04443647 ).
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Sippel LM, Flanagan JC, Holtzheimer PE, Moran-Santa-Maria MM, Brady KT, Joseph JE. Effects of intranasal oxytocin on threat- and reward-related functional connectivity in men and women with and without childhood abuse-related PTSD. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 317:111368. [PMID: 34455213 PMCID: PMC8572525 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Novel treatments that target neurobiological alterations associated with childhood trauma, particularly among those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), could mitigate negative outcomes for these at-risk individuals. PTSD is characterized by abnormalities within the brain's salience network and reward circuitry, which are modulated by intranasal oxytocin. Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design, we tested whether intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) influenced functional coupling of the amygdala with the anterior insula (AI), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and nucleus accumbens in response to implicitly presented fearful, angry, and happy faces among childhood trauma-exposed individuals with (n = 16, 9 women) and without PTSD (n = 18, 12 women). Psychophysiological interaction analyses revealed that oxytocin effects were limited to amygdala-AI connectivity in the fear condition, distinct for men and women, and not impacted by PTSD diagnosis. In response to fear faces, oxytocin reduced left amygdala-left AI connectivity for women but not men; reduced left amygdala-right AI connectivity among women, but increased this connectivity in men; and reduced right amygdala-right anterior insula connectivity for men, but increased it for women. Results suggest that intranasal oxytocin modulates threat salience among childhood trauma-exposed individuals and that these effects vary as a function of gender and hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Sippel
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.
| | - Julianne C Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Paul E Holtzheimer
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Megan M Moran-Santa-Maria
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kathleen T Brady
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jane E Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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Chae WR, Metz S, Pantazidis P, Dziobek I, Hellmann-Regen J, Wingenfeld K, Otte C. Effects of glucocorticoid and noradrenergic activity on implicit and explicit facial emotion recognition in healthy young men. Stress 2021; 24:1050-1056. [PMID: 33860721 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1908255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to recognize emotions from facial expressions is crucial for social interaction. Only few studies have examined the effect of stress hormones on facial emotion recognition, although stressful events affect social interactions on a daily basis. Those studies that examined facial emotion recognition mostly used explicit prompts to trigger consciously controlled processing. However, facial emotions are processed mainly implicitly in real life. Therefore, we investigated separate and combined effects of noradrenergic and glucocorticoid stimulation on implicit and explicit facial emotion recognition. One hundred and four healthy men (mean age = 24.1 years ±SD 3.5) underwent the Face Puzzle task to test implicit and explicit facial emotion recognition after receiving either 10 mg hydrocortisone or 10 mg yohimbine (an alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist that increases noradrenergic activity) or 10 mg hydrocortisone/10 mg yohimbine combined or placebo. Salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) were measured during the experiment. Compared to the placebo condition hydrocortisone significantly increased salivary cortisol and yohimbine significantly increased sAA. Participants were better and faster in explicit than in implicit facial emotion recognition. However, there was no effect of separate and combined noradrenergic and glucocorticoid stimulation on implicit and explicit facial emotion recognition performance compared to placebo. Our results do not support an essential role of the glucocorticoid and noradrenergic system in FER in young healthy men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Ri Chae
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sophie Metz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pierre Pantazidis
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian Hellmann-Regen
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
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Prenatal exposure to valproic acid and treatment with intranasal oxytocin have sex-specific effects on behavior in Long Evans rats. Behav Pharmacol 2021; 32:561-570. [PMID: 34494987 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social behaviors and communication. In rodents and humans, prenatal exposure to antiepileptic valproic acid is associated with an increased risk for autistic-like characteristics. One potential treatment is oxytocin, a prosocial neuropeptide that can be delivered intranasally. However, the sex-specific effects of valproic acid exposure and intranasal oxytocin treatment on behavior have not been fully explored. Pregnant Long Evans rats were administered valproic acid (500 mg/kg) or saline midday on gestational day 12, and after weaning, male and female pups were assigned to control (saline-saline), valproic acid-saline, or valproic acid-oxytocin groups. Oxytocin (0.8 IU/kg) or saline was delivered intranasally 30-60 min before tests for anxiety-like behaviors (elevated plus maze), social interactions (sociability) and sociosexual behaviors (partner preference, 50 kHz vocalizations and scent marking). Prenatal exposure to valproic acid resulted in sex-specific differences in behavior. When compared to controls, valproic acid males showed enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in adolescence and fewer scent marks in adulthood, while valproic acid females showed reduced sexual (partner) preference as adults. Intranasal oxytocin was anxiolytic for valproic acid males, but moderately anxiogenic for valproic acid females, and in both sexes it surprisingly impaired social interactions in the sociability test. Furthermore, intranasal oxytocin failed to improve sociosexual deficits in valproic acid rats. These findings highlight the importance of conducting preclinical studies in both sexes, and suggest that oxytocin may be an effective treatment in animal models with heightened anxiety-like behaviors.
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Abstract
Despite acknowledging that musicality evolved to serve multiple adaptive functions in human evolution, Savage et al. promote social bonding to an overarching super-function. Yet, no unifying neurobiological framework is offered. We propose that oxytocin constitutes a socio-allostatic agent whose modulation of sensing, learning, prediction, and behavioral responses with reference to the physical and social environment facilitates music's social bonding effects.
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Krol KM, Namaky N, Monakhov MV, Lai PS, Ebstein R, Grossmann T. Genetic variation in the oxytocin system and its link to social motivation in human infants. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 131:105290. [PMID: 34091402 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Frontal brain asymmetry has been linked to motivational processes in infants and adults, with left lateralization reflecting motivation to approach and right lateralization reflecting motivation to withdraw. We examined the hypothesis that variability in infants' social motivation may be linked to genetic variation in the oxytocin system. Eleven-month-old infants' brain responses and looking preferences to smiling and frowning individuals were assessed in conjunction with a polymorphism in CD38 (rs3796863) linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and reduced oxytocin. Frontal brain asymmetry and looking preferences differed as a function of CD38 genotype. While non-risk A-allele carriers displayed left lateralization to smiling faces (approach) and a heightened looking preference for the individual who smiled, infants with the CC (ASD risk) genotype displayed withdrawal from smiling faces and a preference for the individual who frowned. Findings demonstrate that the oxytocin system is linked to brain and behavioral markers of social motivation in infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Krol
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 485 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany.
| | - Nauder Namaky
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 485 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Mikhail V Monakhov
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, USA; Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Poh San Lai
- Department of Pediatrics, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Richard Ebstein
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; China Center for Behavior Economics and Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, China
| | - Tobias Grossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 485 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany
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Zheng Y, Shi Y, Jia H, Gao S, Hu Z. Intranasal oxytocin enhances the perception of ambiguous averted gaze in women but not in men. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2021-2029. [PMID: 33754180 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05828-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perceiving accurately that others are looking away from us (averted gaze) is as important, for social interactions, as perceiving that others are looking at us (direct gaze). However, previous studies have revealed that when the deflection angle of averted gaze is small, individuals tend to falsely perceive it as direct gaze. Oxytocin (OXT) has been shown to increase orientation to the eye region. Therefore, a critical question is whether and how OXT would facilitate the perception of ambiguous averted gaze. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to measure the effects of OXT on the performance of males and females in distinguishing ambiguous averted gaze from direct gaze of different emotional faces. METHODS In a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover experiment, 48 participants were presented successively two emotional faces with direct gaze (defined as 0, indicating the center of the eye) or averted gaze (defined as ±4, indicating the corner of the eye; +4 means that the iris moves 4 steps to the right; and -4 means that the iris moves 4 steps to the left) following intranasal oxytocin or placebo treatment and asked to make judgments on whether or not the two faces were the same in terms of identity. The interference effect of gaze direction was calculated by subtracting the mean accuracy and reaction time in the congruent gaze condition from those in the incongruent gaze condition. The logic of the measurement was if intranasal OXT would facilitate the detection of ambiguous averted gaze, we would observe a larger interference effect in the gaze incongruent condition compared with the gaze congruent condition, leading to longer RT or/and lower accuracy for identification judgment in the gaze incongruent condition. RESULTS While there were no OXT effects in accuracy, we found a significant interaction between treatment, sex, and gaze congruency in reaction times. That is, following OXT as compared to placebo, women displayed stronger interference of gaze direction, whereas in men no significant difference was observed. Besides, this interaction did not vary across different emotional expressions. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide the first evidence for sex-dependent effects of OXT on the perception of ambiguous averted gaze. Given potential therapeutic applications of OXT to patients with developmental and psychiatric disorders, who are characterized as atypical in encoding gaze features, the findings suggest that rather different treatment outcomes could be anticipated in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zheng
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, 610068, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yahuan Shi
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, 610068, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Han Jia
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, 610068, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Gao
- School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, People's Republic of China. .,The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhonghua Hu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, 610068, Chengdu, People's Republic of China. .,Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
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Stevens F, Taber K. The neuroscience of empathy and compassion in pro-social behavior. Neuropsychologia 2021; 159:107925. [PMID: 34186105 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Research in the scientific literature increasingly demonstrates that empathy consists of multiple dimensions, and that defining empathy as a single encompassing term may be imprecise. Recent calls have been made for increasing empathy as means to increase pro-social behavior. However, contradictory evidence exists that empathy may reduce pro-social behavior. This debate has sparked confusion around what is empathy, along with the value of empathy in promoting pro-social behavior. This paper will examine recent advances in affective neuroscience to better understand the construct of empathy and its relationship to pro-social behavior. Individuals' responses to affective empathy, seeing the suffering of others can result in personal distress or empathic concern, which may then subsequently affect motivation for pro-social behavior. Current research in affective neuroscience suggests that combining compassion interventions in conjunction with both affective and cognitive empathy offers the most optimal likelihood that individuals will engage in pro-social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katherine Taber
- Veterans Affairs Mid Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, USA; W.G. "Bill" Hefner VA Medical Center, USA; Division of Biomedical Sciences at College of Osteopathic Medicine, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine, USA
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Marazziti D, Avella MT, Ivaldi T, Palermo S, Massa L, Vecchia AD, Basile L, Mucci F. Neuroenhancement: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2021; 18:137-169. [PMID: 34909030 PMCID: PMC8629054 DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20210303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacological neuroenhancement refers to the non-medical use of prescription drugs, alcohol, illegal drugs, or the so-called soft enhancers for the purpose of improving cognition, mood, pro-social behavior, or work and academic performance. This phenomenon is undoubtedly more frequent than previously supposed especially amongst university students. The aim of the present paper was to carefully review and comment on the available literature on neuroenhancement, according to Prisma guidelines. The results showed a great use of all prescribed drugs (benzodiazepines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, nootropic compounds, and especially stimulants) as neuroenhancers amongst healthy subjects, although probably the real prevalence is underestimated. The use of illicit drugs and soft enhancers is similarly quite common. Data on the improvement of cognition by other compounds, such as oxytocin and pheromones, or non-pharmacological techniques, specifically deep brain stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation, are still limited. In any case, if it is true that human beings are embedded by the desire to overcome the limits of their intrinsic nature, neuroenhancement practices put into question the concept of authenticity. Therefore, the problem appears quite complex and requires to be deepened and analyzed with no prejudice, although within an ethical conceptual frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Marazziti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy
- Unicamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Avella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Tea Ivaldi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefania Palermo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucia Massa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Della Vecchia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucia Basile
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Mucci
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Italy
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Oxytocinergic Modulation of Threat-Specific Amygdala Sensitization in Humans Is Critically Mediated by Serotonergic Mechanisms. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 6:1081-1089. [PMID: 33894423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overarching conceptualizations propose that the complex social-emotional effects of oxytocin (OXT) in humans are partly mediated by interactions with other neurotransmitter systems. Recent animal models suggest that the anxiolytic effects of OXT are critically mediated by the serotonin (5-HT) system, yet direct evidence in humans is lacking. METHODS To determine the role of 5-HT in OXT-induced attenuation of amygdala threat reactivity and sensitization/desensitization, we conducted a parallel-group, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind experiment during which 121 healthy subjects underwent a transient decrease in 5-HT signaling via acute tryptophan depletion or the corresponding placebo-control protocol before the administration of intranasal OXT or placebo intranasal spray, respectively. Mean and repetition-dependent changes in threat-specific amygdala reactivity toward threatening stimuli (angry faces) as assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging served as the primary outcome. RESULTS No main or interaction effects of treatment on amygdala threat reactivity were observed, yet OXT switched bilateral amygdala threat sensitization to desensitization, and this effect was significantly attenuated during decreased central 5-HT signaling via pretreatment with acute tryptophan depletion. CONCLUSIONS The present findings provide the first evidence for a role of OXT in threat-specific amygdala desensitization in humans and suggest that these effects are critically mediated by the 5-HT system. OXT may have a therapeutic potential to facilitate amygdala desensitization, and adjunct upregulation of 5-HT neurotransmission may facilitate OXT's anxiolytic potential.
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Schaebs FS, Wirobski G, Marshall-Pescini S, Range F, Deschner T. Validation of a commercial enzyme immunoassay to assess urinary oxytocin in humans. Endocr Connect 2021; 10:290-301. [PMID: 33617463 PMCID: PMC8052582 DOI: 10.1530/ec-20-0583] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Within the last decade, oxytocin (OT) has attracted a lot of attention in the context of various human social behaviors. Besides its importance in regulating physiological processes in females related to giving birth and lactation, OT is involved in the establishment and maintenance of social relationships, trust and emotion recognition. However, results are not always consistent across studies, which may partly be due to the incomplete validation of methods used to assess OT levels. Carefully validating a method before its use is of crucial importance to ensure that it can be used to accurately, reliably and repeatedly assess OT levels. With this study we evaluated a commercially available Enzyme Immunoassay to assess OT in human urine samples by conducting a careful analytical validation. Results indicate that, with regard to parallelism and immunoreactivity, human urinary OT can be assessed reliably. However, extraction methods need further improvement to optimize measures of accuracy and extraction efficiency, especially in the lower range of the assay system. Tests on OT stability indicate that OT is affected by degradation when stored at 4°C or room temperature. Storing urine samples over longer periods revealed that OT levels are most stable when stored as ethanol extracts at -20°C compared to being stored as samples at -20°C or -80°C. Although some of the validated parameters did not reach the intended quality criteria, this study highlights the importance of such in depth validation procedures and reporting results to make them available to researchers embarking on projects utilizing such methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franka S Schaebs
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- ZLS, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
| | - Gwen Wirobski
- Domestication Lab, Wolf Science Center, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence should be addressed to G Wirobski or T Deschner: or
| | - Sarah Marshall-Pescini
- Domestication Lab, Wolf Science Center, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Range
- Domestication Lab, Wolf Science Center, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- Correspondence should be addressed to G Wirobski or T Deschner: or
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Kittel AFD, Olderbak S, Wilhelm O. Sty in the Mind's Eye: A Meta-Analytic Investigation of the Nomological Network and Internal Consistency of the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test. Assessment 2021; 29:872-895. [PMID: 33645295 DOI: 10.1177/1073191121996469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is the most popular adult measure of individual differences in theory of mind. We present a meta-analytic investigation of the test's psychometric properties (k = 119 effect sizes, 61 studies, ntotal = 8,611 persons). Using random effects models, we found the internal consistency of the test was acceptable (α = .73). However, the RMET was more strongly related with emotion perception (r = .33, ρ = .48) relative to alternative theory of mind measures (r = .29, ρ = .39), and weakly to moderately related with vocabulary (r = .25, ρ = .32), cognitive empathy (r = .14, ρ = .20), and affective empathy (r = .13, ρ = .19). Overall, we conclude that the RMET operates rather as emotion perception measure than as theory of mind measure, challenging the interpretation of RMET results.
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Intranasal oxytocin decreases fear generalization in males, but does not modulate discrimination threshold. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:677-689. [PMID: 33241482 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05720-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A previously acquired fear response often spreads to perceptually or conceptually close stimuli or contexts. This process, known as fear generalization, facilitates the avoidance of danger, and dysregulations in this process play an important role in anxiety disorders. Oxytocin (OT) has been shown to modulate fear learning, yet effects on fear generalization remain unknown. METHODS We employed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, between-subject design during which healthy male participants received either intranasal OT or placebo (PLC) following fear acquisition and before fear generalization with concomitant acquisition of skin conductance responses (SCRs). Twenty-four to 72 h before the fear learning and immediately after the fear generalization task, participants additionally complete a discrimination threshold task. RESULTS Relative to PLC, OT significantly reduced perceived risk and SCRs towards the CS+ and GS1 (the generalization stimulus that is most similar to CS+) during fear generalization, whereas the discrimination threshold was not affected. CONCLUSIONS Together, the results suggest that OT can attenuate fear generalization in the absence of effects on discrimination threshold. This study provides the first evidence for effects of OT on fear generalization in humans and suggests that OT may have therapeutic potential in anxiety disorders characterized by dysregulated fear generalization.
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Vancova Z. Potential Therapeutic Possibility of Oxytocin for Borderline Personality Disorder. Psychiatr Ann 2021. [DOI: 10.3928/00485713-20210208-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Oxytocin in Schizophrenia: Pathophysiology and Implications for Future Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22042146. [PMID: 33670047 PMCID: PMC7926349 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a form of mental disorder that is behaviorally characterized by abnormal behavior, such as social function deficits or other behaviors that are disconnected from reality. Dysregulation of oxytocin may play a role in regulating the expression of schizophrenia. Given oxytocin’s role in social cognition and behavior, a variety of studies have examined the potential clinical benefits of oxytocin in improving the psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia. In this review, we highlight the evidence for the role of endogenous oxytocin in schizophrenia, from animal models to human studies. We further discuss the potential of oxytocin as a therapeutic agent for schizophrenia and its implication in future treatment.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to poor social function. Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide involved in social cognition, is a potential therapeutic agent for alleviating social dysfunction. Therefore, we investigated the effects of intranasal oxytocin (IN-OXT) on emotional processes in experimental interactive social contexts in individuals with SCZ. METHODS In a male-only parallel randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial, we investigated the effects of IN-OXT (24 IU) on visual fixation on pictures of faces and emotion recognition in an interactive ball-tossing game that probed processing of social and nonsocial stimuli. RESULTS Intranasal oxytocin enhanced the recognition of emotions during an emotion-based ball-tossing game. This improvement was specific to the game that included social cue processing. Intranasal oxytocin did not affect eye gaze duration or gaze dwell time on faces in these patients. CONCLUSIONS An acute low dose of IN-OXT had a modest effect on social cue processing and was limited to emotion recognition. Higher doses and long-term trials targeting emotional processing in SCZ may lead to improved social function.
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Quintana DS, Lischke A, Grace S, Scheele D, Ma Y, Becker B. Advances in the field of intranasal oxytocin research: lessons learned and future directions for clinical research. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:80-91. [PMID: 32807845 PMCID: PMC7815514 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00864-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Reports on the modulatory role of the neuropeptide oxytocin on social cognition and behavior have steadily increased over the last two decades, stimulating considerable interest in its psychiatric application. Basic and clinical research in humans primarily employs intranasal application protocols. This approach assumes that intranasal administration increases oxytocin levels in the central nervous system via a direct nose-to-brain route, which in turn acts upon centrally-located oxytocin receptors to exert its behavioral effects. However, debates have emerged on whether intranasally administered oxytocin enters the brain via the nose-to-brain route and whether this route leads to functionally relevant increases in central oxytocin levels. In this review we outline recent advances from human and animal research that provide converging evidence for functionally relevant effects of the intranasal oxytocin administration route, suggesting that direct nose-to-brain delivery underlies the behavioral effects of oxytocin on social cognition and behavior. Moreover, advances in previously debated methodological issues, such as pre-registration, reproducibility, statistical power, interpretation of non-significant results, dosage, and sex differences are discussed and integrated with suggestions for the next steps in translating intranasal oxytocin into psychiatric applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Quintana
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Alexander Lischke
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sally Grace
- School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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